NORC (national outdoor recreation conference)

Outdoor recreation areas across the globe have experienced record-breaking levels of visitation over the last several years. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these trends, as people flocked to the safety of outdoor spaces. These trends present an historic moment for the science and practice of visitor use management. The need is greater than ever to develop solutions to pressures created by intensive visitation on natural, cultural, and historical resources, the quality and character of visitor experiences, and the well-being of employees.

At the same time, the opportunity is greater than ever to connect with diverse publics through outdoor recreation experiences to foster environmental ethics and stewardship, healthy lifestyles, and emotional well-being. This workshop will tap into the energy, opportunities, and challenges of this moment to explore key themes in visitor use management. The workshop will include an introduction and overview of the IVUMC’s Visitor Use Management Framework and guidebooks interwoven with real-world case studies of applying data-driven visitor use management decisions on state and federal public lands. Participants will also explore VUM topics in depth during break-out group discussions with presenters.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the four elements of the Visitor Use Management Framework.
• Understand the modern challenges and opportunities for visitor use management (VUM) on public lands.
• Describe novel approaches for incorporating data-driven insights, including stakeholder perspectives, in a visitor use management (VUM) planning process.
• Explain key considerations for developing visitor use management (VUM) strategies for public lands that reflect diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ).
• Explore the range of visitor use management (VUM) applications and the need for adaptive, place-based management approaches to support sustainable visitation on public lands.