Module One: Summary
Module One Summary
Every year, people across the country flock to federally managed lands and waters for a variety of recreational purposes. Some are visiting an area for the first time, while others are returning to places they visit year after year. Some visitors are alone, and others visit with friends and family. On any given day, visitors are planning their trips, others are immersed in a long visit, and some are heading home and reflecting on their shared memories of time well spent. Recreation is a core element of American culture and a vital thread in the fabric of society. It allows people to connect with their natural and cultural heritage, be healthier in mind and body, enhance the bonds between family and friends, contribute to the economic vitality of communities, and be inspired and rejuvenated. Further, these opportunities allow people to better understand and care for resources and federal lands and waters, creating citizen stewards who want to support sustained management of our collective heritage. The last decade has been an exciting time with many initiatives, such as the White House’s America’s Great Outdoors and Every Kid in a Park and the Department of the Interior’s America’s Youth in the Great Outdoors, which encourage visitor access and connections to federally managed lands and waters. In particular, these initiatives encourage federal agencies to be responsive to an increasingly diverse public that has changing interests and expectations. With this encouragement of access, there is a corresponding need to heighten managers’ thoughtful approaches to managing visitor use. The Interagency Visitor Use Management Council (the council) was chartered in 2011 to develop best practices for visitor use management on federally managed lands and waters. Visitor use management is the proactive and adaptive process for managing characteristics of visitor us
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VUM Framework Elements
It is important to note that although presented in a linear order, these elements and steps are highly iterative in nature. As noted previously, this framework is intended to be applied in a flexible manner using the sliding scale concept.
Below are all of your responses from the Module. These can help guide you through the framework and provide a better understanding of your needs. Feel free to print them out.
Element 1
What are the relevant laws and policies that govern your unit? What other guidance documents can you leverage to help inform visitor use management at your site?Element 2
What conditions are you trying to achieve? How will you know when you have achieved them?Element 3
What conditions are you trying to achieve? How will you know when you have achieved them?Element 4
Who can help you implement your strategies?Summary
- Create a shared purpose among agency personnel and the public they serve.
- Create clear visitor use management direction that benefits the public and provides a foundation for future management actions and accountability.
- Help managers manage by design, not default.
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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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