Recreation in whitebark pine ecosystems: Demand, problems, and management strategies

Whitebark pine ecosystems are an important element of many of the most spectacular high-elevation landscapes in the western United States. They occupy upper subalpine and timberline zones in the prime recreation lands of the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada, and the Northern Rocky Mountains. This paper explores the nature of the recreational opportunities that the whitebark pine ecosystem provides and the demand for those opportunities. Important management problems are described, as are strategies for minimizing problems and optimizing recreational opportunities.

Dispersed backcountry recreation is particularly important in whitebark pine ecosystems. Maintenance of natural-appearing landscapes is a critical management objective with this type of recreational use. The principal management challenges are to (1) provide opportunities to enjoy the landscape but concentrate and contain use wherever it regularly occurs, (2) design transportation systems and facilities to blend with the surroundings, (3) strive to improve site rehabilitation techniques, and (4) minimize the obtrusiveness of other forest uses.