Selecting Visitor Carrying Capacity Indicators and Proposing Potential Standards for Mount Rainier National Park

Project ID: J9W88030023

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: University of Washington

Fiscal Year: 2003

Initial Funding: $115,400

Total Funding: $233,265

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Social

National Park: Mount Rainier National Park

Principal Investigator: Bradley, Gordon

Agreement Technical Representative: Samora, Barbara

Abstract: The Visitor Experience and Resource Protection planning framework is being applied address carrying capacity at Mount Rainier. This approach to addressing carrying capacity is similar to the wilderness limits of acceptable change process that has been used to monitor and manage the Mount Rainier Wilderness since 1989. The VERP framework is about setting a balance between visitor access and the various effects that visitors have on the environment.

Deliverables:

• MODELING DAY-HIKING IN THE TRANSITION TRAIL ZONE OF MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK (Final Report)
• OBSERVED BEHAVIOR AND VISITOR COUNTS AT FOUR LAKES IN MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK (Final Report)
• ALTERED VISITOR USE IN THE PARADISE AREA IN RESPONSE TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY (Final Report)
• VISITOR USE IN THE MANAGEMENT ZONES OF MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK (Final Report)
• A MAP-DIARY SURVEY OF BACKPACKER ITINERARIES IN MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK (Final Report)
• MODELING DAY-HIKING IN THE SENSITIVE RESOURCE ZONE OF MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK: A BASIS FOR RECOMMENDING INDICATORS AND STANDARDS (Final Report)
• The 2004 Mount Rainier Climber Study: Selecting Indicators of Climber Experience Quality for the High Use and Moderate Use Climbing Zones (Final Report)
• VISITOR-EXPERIENCE INDICATORS AND STANDARDS FOR THE WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT ZONES IN MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FINAL SELECTION (Final Report)