PARK USER PERCEPTIONS OF RESOURCE AND USE IMPACTS UNDER VARIED SITUATIONS IN 3 NATIONAL-PARKS

On-site user perceptions of resource and use impacts were investigated at three national parks in the southeastern United States. The major purpose of the research was to investigate the symbolic meaning that d ifferent groups of park visitors assign to specific impact situations, involving the perception of five categories of impacts: litter, erosi on, dead trees and animals, crowding and congestion, and commercial en croachment. Respondents were asked to rate the degree of acceptance/un acceptance for the five types of impacts that exist in various setting s and conditions. An on-site intercept interview and mail questionnair e resulted in 971 cases for analysis. Results indicated that park user perceptions and tolerance for impacts vary widely, and that within ch anging situations there are degrees of acceptability and unacceptabili ty. Finally, there are margins of relative differences between cluster ed groups of respondents and how they respond to impact situations. (C ) 1997 Academic Press Limited.