Recreational user management of parks: an ecological economic framework

Abstract

Recreational users are one of the major causes of ecosystem damage in publicly owned parks. To ensure the sustainability of these ecosystems requires that the damage impact of recreational users be managed. A constrained park management goal is proposed that allows recreational users to pursue welfare derived from park experiences, subject to non-declining ecosystem health and equity of access. Four guiding principles (adaptable community control, quantity constraints, equity of access, and least cost policy mix) are used to provide a framework for recreational user management in three groups of park ecosystem. The funding of recreational user management is explored. Classifying park ecosystems in to three groups, it was found that non-market mechanisms alone are suitable in Group 1 park ecosystems, with market mechanisms being of increasing importance use in Group 2 and Group 3 park ecosystems. Show more