Sustainable campsite management in protected areas: A study of long-term ecological changes on campsites in the boundary waters canoe area wilderness, Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Managers of protected natural areas seek to protect their natural conditions while providing opportunities for recreational visitation. Camping is an essential element of backcountry and wilderness recreation for a variety of protected natural areas in the U.S. and internationally. Furthermore, overnight visitors to protected areas spend a substantial portion of their time on campsites so their behaviors determine the nature and extent of resource impacts, and the quality of their recreational experiences can be affected by campsite conditions. The U.S. Forest Service manages nearly 2000 designated campsites in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This research assessed resource conditions on 81 wilderness campsites and paired undisturbed controls in 1982 and 2014 to quantify long-term ecological changes. A comprehensive array of physical, vegetative, and soil indicators were measured to identify long-term trends over 32 years of continuous campsite use.Our findings reveal substantial changes in area of vegetation cover, exposed soil, and soil erosion on campsites. Although mean campsite size is unchanged, the proportion of campsite area in the “core” has decreased, shifting some use and impact into peripheral “satellite” tenting areas just beyond campsite borders. The ecology of campsites has been significantly altered by a large reduction in number and cover of campsite trees. The number of campsite trees decreased by 44% from 1982 to 2014. Visitors are cutting both on- and off-site trees for firewood, and tree seedlings are rarely able to germinate and survive due to visitor activity.These findings reveal that older campsites are not stable. Long-term camping impacts that are ecologically, managerially, and experientially meaningful are occurring; these impacts could be minimized through more sustainable management practices. These include selecting more resistant sites, such as those with resistant rocky shorelines, and sloping terrain that constrains campsite expansion. Construction and maintenance of tenting sites can attract and spatially concentrate camping impact. Actions to halt tree cutting are also critical. Heavy long-term visitation in protected natural areas requires more sustainable and intensive visitor impact management actions.