Visitor Use Management Resources

Upcoming Event

SORP + NSBF Fact Sheet

SORP partnered with the National Scenic Byways Foundation to create a VUM Fact Sheet for the scenic byways community. 

VUM for Byways Quick Tips:

  • One of the first - and most important steps - in visitor use management is building a coalition and gaining buy-in for visitor use management needs. Byways groups are a great resource for beginning this step and remember to consider underrepresented voices and perspectives.

  • The VUM Framework is adaptable to the planning processes and documents of federal and non-federal organizations. Many organizations follow the framework or aspects of it without explicitly using the terminology. Use language that resonates with the people and communities along your byway.

  • Communicating expectations for visitor experiences and amenities goes a long way in helping people enjoy their trip! Visitor use management planning can help create a shared vision and approaches for the type, location, and availability of visitor resources.

Visitor Use Management Publications & Training

The IVUMC is made up of six federal land and water management agencies: BLM, NPS, USFS, NOAA, USFWS, and USACOE. Representatives from these agencies work together to develop guidance for consistent planning and implementation of visitor use management regardless of jurisdiction. The council published the 2016 Visitor Use Management Framework that outlines four core elements and associated steps for visitor use management planning regardless of scale. They also published associated guidebooks on desired conditions, visitor capacity, and monitoring.

Learn more and visit the IVUMC training page.

Visitor Use Management Workshops & Trainings

Upcoming:

Visitor Use Management Training & Symposium  |  June 2 - 5, 2025  |  Vancouver, Washington

As visitor use increases and public expectations change, we need to have the training and tools to provide high quality experiences while protecting natural and cultural resources. We encourage any land managers to join us so we can diversify industry knowledge including tribal, state, local and federal land and water managers, researchers and professors, consultants. and others who participate in recreation planning and management. Learn More.

Past: 

Visitor Use Management Workshop | August 2023

SORP worked with Acadia National Park to host a hybrid workshop in August 2023. This workshop focused on local, state and federal perspectives on visitor use management. Managers in the New England region have a long history of working across jurisdictions to plan for and provide outdoor recreation opportunities.  Participants heard from land managers and researchers about case studies and discussed best practices and lessons learned for visitor use management. VUM Workshop Summary

Visitor Use Management Community of Practice

The VUM Community is a resource for SORP members to ask questions, share resources, and celebrate successes! Not yet a SORP member? It also have an extensive library of VUM-related research and publications. Join here or email Rebecca Maguire at rebecca.maguire@recpro.org for more information. 

Visitor Use Management Case Studies

The VUM case studies are 1-page overviews of current and recent visitor use management projects. Do you have a VUM case study to share? Contact Rachel Franchina at rachel.franchina@recpro.org.