Last summer I participated in a study of visitor perceptions related to experiences within the popular and increasingly crowded Three Sisters Wilderness which is located 20 miles from where I live. The title that has been given to the newly published report is:

 Attitudes and Changes in Attitudes about Visitor Management at the Green Lakes/South Sister Area of the Three Sisters Wilderness: A Study of Four Stakeholder Involvement Meetings in Oregon

At the time, I viewed the study as an effort designed to give the USFS justification for managing Wilderness to standards lower than are required by law. I also thought the session seemed oddly designed to test how easily attitudes about wilderness could be swayed by the persistent, repetitive, imposition of propaganda by the researchers.

Today I read the report and my original misgivings were confirmed.

The newly released study can be read at: http://leopold.wilderness.net/research/fprojects/docs7/Stakeholder.pdf

This new study is one of several related wilderness studies. Here is a link to the series. http://leopold.wilderness.net/research/fprojects/F007_B.htm

The Three Sisters Wilderness study came to the general conclusion that Wilderness visitors are diverse bunch of poorly informed recreationists whose opinions about Wilderness management are remarkably labile under pressure.

As a study in sociology, this has significant value. As a study with applicability to Wilderness management, I found little of any value.

Wilderness management is governed by law. Fortunately (for now, at least) law is not as labile as were the opinions of those who participated in this survey.

Scott

   It behooves us then to do two things: First we must see that an adequate system of wilderness areas is designed for preservation, and then we must allow nothing to alter the wilderness character of the preserves."   - Howard Zahniser 

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