Proactive Planning for Recreation on Protected Lands-Wildlife Management Areas in New Jersey

Abstract

Individual states in the US protect lands for wildlife conservation and recreation. These state lands, often known as Wildlife Management Areas, have historically been used for consumptive recreational activities such as hunting and fishing. Today, states must consider how to appropriately manage these lands. In the State of New Jersey, we surveyed 4,198 users on-site, at WMAs, to determine their primary recreation activity, their demographics, and their willingness to pay for access to and management of these lands. Our findings indicate that there are more users participating in non-consumptive recreation activities and are willing to pay approximately $15 annually to use these WMA lands. Furthermore, many user groups are underrepresented. We recommend increasing outreach to these populations, developing a non-consumptive fee/donation system similar to existing programs in other states, and considering a management strategy that specifically targets seasonal and site use restrictions to avoid recreation conflicts.