Element 3: Identify Management Strategies
Element 3: Identify Management Strategies
The purpose of this element is to answer the question: How will visitor use be managed to achieve or maintain desired conditions? This element is intended to help managers identify management strategies and actions to achieve and maintain the desired conditions of a project area. Management strategies are general approaches of addressing visitor use management issues, while actions are specific ways of implementing management strategies. This element also describes the identification of a visitor capacity and implementation plans for that capacity. Visitor capacity is a component of visitor use management and is the maximum amounts and types of visitor use that an area can accommodate while achieving and maintaining the desired resource conditions and visitor experiences that are consistent with the purposes for which the area was established.
The steps of this element help managers understand the relationship between existing and desired conditions and make defensible decisions about visitor use management strategies and actions, including those regarding visitor capacity.
Element 3 includes four distinct steps:
Step 8
Compare and document the differences between existing and desired conditions, and, for visitor use-related impacts, clarify the specific links to visitor use characteristics.Step 9
Identify visitor use management strategies and actions to achieve desired conditions.Step 10
Where necessary, identify visitor capacities and additional strategies to manage use levels within capacities.Step 11
Develop a monitoring strategy.The desired outcomes of this element include:
- Documentation of the gap between existing and desired conditions and clarification of the link with visitor use.
- Identification of management strategies and actions to achieve the desired conditions.
- Establishment of visitor capacities where needed or required.
- Development of a program to monitor conditions over the long term.
As in all elements of this framework, make project efforts commensurate with the magnitude of the decision being made. At the low end of the sliding scale, comparison between existing and desired conditions is likely to include more qualitative methods than quantitative and could be completed in just a few hours. Identification of a handful of management strategies and actions could be done quickly; likewise, the monitoring strategy might only include a small number of indicators and qualitative thresholds and thus could be developed in a matter of hours or days. When the development of a visitor capacity is incorporated into the process, it is typically based on an analysis of existing information, including current level of visitation.
In contrast, at the high end of the sliding scale, the comparison between existing and desired conditions is expected to be complex and include an analysis across multiple indicators and thresholds. This process is likely more involved, examining many strategies and actions, capacities, and other metrics over a period of months, including public participation. A matrix of management strategies would probably be developed for multiple zones within the project area. Where the development of a visitor capacity is needed, more current data may be needed in the analysis, and the rationale for the capacity could be based on a multitude of factors. If the monitoring program is robust, additional investment in comprehensive data compilation, analysis, and interpretation may be needed.
Review: What are two differences between existing and desired conditions in your unit?
STEP 8. COMPARE AND DOCUMENT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXISTING AND DESIRED CONDITIONS, AND, FOR VISITOR USE-RELATED IMPACTS, CLARIFY THE SPECIFIC LINKS TO VISITOR USE CHARACTERISTIC
The purpose of this step is to assess conditions and visitor-related impacts to better understand how to manage visitor use to achieve desired conditions. This step is essentially a problem analysis, examining the gap between existing and desired conditions (Marion 2003). Begin by reviewing existing information and current conditions. Use the work completed in step 1 (clarify the project purpose and need), in step 3 (assess and summarize existing information and current conditions), step 5 (define desired conditions for the project area), and step 6 (define appropriate visitor activities, facilities, and services).
Compare the existing situation to desired condition statements and indicators. Visit the project area and evaluate what is seen, heard, and smelled to assess how the area is functioning. In reviewing the desired condition statements, ask the following types of questions: Are conditions still being maintained or achieved? Do the existing conditions largely match what is written for the desired conditions? If not, what is different?
Are the indicators and thresholds tracking changes in conditions so they may be compared with the desired conditions? If the indicator is not monitoring what was intended to be monitored, consider a new indicator reflective of the desired conditions. Always establish indicators and thresholds that support the desired conditions.
STEP 9. IDENTIFY VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE DESIRED CONDITIONS
The purpose of this step is to identify visitor use management strategies and actions to achieve desired conditions. Management strategies are general approaches of addressing visitor use management issues, while actions are specific ways of implementing management strategies. For example, if the issue is hikers shortcutting switchbacks on a trail, the most important management strategy is to modify visitor behavior so hikers stop shortcutting.
Management actions may include:
- Site management, such as piling brush to make it physically difficult to shortcut the switchback or locating a designated campsite in an area that is not in highly sensitive wildlife habitat
- Education, such as informing people about the impacts caused by shortcutting and asking them to stay on the trail.
- Regulation enforcement, such as prohibiting switchback shortcutting and increasing enforcement patrols
At the site-specific project level, appropriate uses already may have been identified in a higher level plan. However, if the project entails preparing a broad, general plan, identifying appropriate uses will likely need to be accomplished. At the low end of the sliding scale, in which there is only one desired condition description for the project area, the product of this step would be a simple list of visitor activities, facilities, and services that are considered appropriate, appropriate with restrictions, or not appropriate. At the high end of the sliding scale, the product of this step may be displayed as a table that lists possible visitor activities, facilities, and services for each of the different “zones” and may include detailed rationale for determining which activities, facilities, and services are appropriate versus not appropriate.
Keep in mind, no matter what the complexity of the situation, developing an exhaustive list of all potential uses is not necessary and can be counterproductive. Anticipating all possible activities, given that interests will likely evolve with changing technology, is not practical. Since desired conditions are focused on the future, managers need to consider where foreseeable activities may and may not be accommodated in order to protect important resource conditions and visitor experiences.
STEP 10. WHERE NECESSARY, IDENTIFY VISITOR CAPACITIES AND ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO MANAGE USE LEVELS WITHIN CAPACITIES
Visitor capacity is defined as the maximum amounts and types of visitor use that an area can accommodate while achieving and maintaining the desired resource conditions and visitor experiences that are consistent with the purposes for which the area was established
If one of the management strategies selected in step 9 includes managing the amount of visitor use or if visitor capacities are legally required, managers must:
- Identify and implement visitor capacities when they are legally required.
- Identify and implement visitor capacities when managing the amounts and types of visitor use is directly related to achieving and maintaining desired conditions and statutory requirements.
This step provides transparency to the public and establishes the foundation for management accountability by focusing the monitoring effort on indicators that directly link to achieving desired conditions. All recreation activities cause some impact; the challenge is to determine the acceptable amount of change. The acceptable amount of change is established by defining the point at which visitor impacts to desired resource conditions and visitor experiences is anticipated to become enough of a concern that a change in management strategies or actions will be required to improve conditions. By monitoring conditions over time and clearly identifying when conditions become problematic, managers can implement programs to prevent unacceptable conditions.
Indicators are defined as specific resource or experiential attributes that can be measured to track changes in conditions so that progress toward achieving and maintaining desired conditions can be assessed. Thresholds are defined as minimally acceptable conditions associated with each indicator. Alternative terms for “threshold”—notably “standard” or “standard of quality”—have been used in many plans, visitor use frameworks, and academic publications.
The concept of thresholds is well established as part of monitoring programs associated with many natural resource disciplines (Guntenspergen 2014). Thresholds help managers avoid problems by clearly identifying when conditions would become unacceptable. As such, thresholds serve as a stop sign or a “line in the sand” letting managers and the public know that corrective action must be taken to keep conditions acceptable so that progress toward desired conditions can be achieved over time.
Those conducting visitor use management should always strive to make progress toward meeting and maintaining desired conditions. Thresholds serve a critical role to alert when conditions are close to becoming unacceptable. In contrast, one role of objectives is to inform the positive direction, defining in measurable terms what will be achieved. Both concepts are useful to help achieve desired conditions over time. In situations in which managers want to define measurable outcomes for what should be achieved within specified timeframes, establish objectives linked to desired conditions. Like thresholds, objectives include an indicator and involve monitoring change over time. Objectives comply with SMART principles: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
Begin with the end in mind; envision the information obtained through monitoring, and only select indicators that will influence a management response. When establishing thresholds, recognize that they should be informed by science, professional experience, and legal requirements and that they are management decisions. Also, recognize that indicators and thresholds will likely be a subset of a larger visitor or recreation monitoring program.
Review: What strategies might help you achieve desired conditions and resolve the issues at your site?
Are visitor use management and visitor capacity the same thing?
No. The term visitor capacity should not be used as a short-hand when the ultimate need is effective visitor use management through a variety of means. Since visitor capacity focuses on the amount of use, identifying and implementing visitor capacities is just one of many visitor use management strategies available to maintain or achieve desired conditions. Visitor capacity is defined as the maximum amounts and types of visitor use that an area can accommodate while sustaining desired conditions and visitor experiences, consistent with the purpose for which the area was established. Therefore, visitor capacity decisions are part of a more holistic approach to visitor use management and can only be made after desired conditions and other management strategies have been identified.
STEP 11. DEVELOP A MONITORING STRATEGY
The outcome of this step is a monitoring strategy or strategies. An effective monitoring strategy is as important as the development of management strategies and actions. Monitoring is integral to the framework, as it provides key feedback of conditions to managers. Monitoring is also critical to determine whether actions taken to protect resources and provide high-quality opportunities are indeed effective. There are usually two types of monitoring: (1) implementation monitoring, which answers the question: Were the planned actions implemented (including when and how they were implemented)?; and (2) effectiveness monitoring, which answers the question: How effective were the actions? The information in this step applies to both types of monitoring.
The term monitoring strategy refers to the periodic collection of information related to visitor use and its impact on an area’s resources and opportunities for visitor experiences. Visitor use monitoring data typically include variables, such as use levels and patterns, sociodemographic characteristics, preferences and expectations, and other evaluative measures. These variables are translated into “indicators,” as they are used to indicate the condition of resource values and the quality of visitor experiences at any given time
The sliding scale (chapter 2) applies to monitoring strategies. For example, at the high end of the sliding scale, the project will likely require greater investment in information about the use and impacts occurring. Conversely, at the low end of the sliding scale, more rapid monitoring strategies could be developed to provide general knowledge of visitor use and related resource conditions. Careful assessment and professional judgment are applicable at any point on the scale.
Well-planned monitoring strategies reduce the uncertainty of existing conditions and increase the effectiveness of management actions in achieving desired conditions (Cole 2006). Monitoring strategies make monitoring operationally feasible and financially viable over an extended period of time. The more aware the management team is of visitor use monitoring, the greater the receptivity it will have to approving new management actions as a result of monitoring.
When developing a monitoring strategy, the level of monitoring effort should be commensurate with the complexity of the management actions to be monitored. At the low end of the sliding scale, one or two people could develop the monitoring strategy. At the high end of the sliding scale, form a diverse project team to develop the monitoring strategies, and include staff who are committed to the project over the long term. For highly complex projects, develop monitoring strategies based on peer-reviewed, well-established, and scientifically robust protocols. Monitoring of any kind can experience an ebb and flow of support from the public and management; the necessity of clearly outlining a monitoring strategy cannot be overstated.
Make data collection protocols replicable. Bring in new reviewers/advisors over time to make sure protocols can be understood by staff within a relatively short amount of time.
Summary
Identifying management strategies is key to developing a plan to manage visitor use to achieve desired conditions. Steps 8 through 11 help managers identify: • The gaps between existing and desired conditions and analyze the relationship between visitor use and changing conditions. • Visitor capacities and strategies to manage within those capacities. • Monitoring strategies.
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Element Two
Define Visitor Use Management Direction: What conditions are we trying to achieve?
Learn MoreElement Three
Identify Management Strategies: How will visitor use be managed to achieve desired conditions?
Learn MoreElement Four
Implement, Monitor, Evaluate, and Adjust: Are we making progress towards desired conditions?
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