Understanding and managing the off-road vehicle experience: standards of quality

Abstract

A companion paper in a previous issue of Managing Leisure suggested that crowding, litter, and waiting time to get a use permit were among the variables important in defining a high-quality off-road vehicle (ORV) experience at Cape Cod National Seashore (Cape Cod). Potential standards of quality – the minimum acceptable condition for these indicator variables – are addressed in this paper. Data to help formulate standards were collected during the 2005 summer-use season by asking visitors to evaluate narrative/numeric questions describing a range of visitor-caused impacts or photographic simulations depicting such impacts. Responses to survey questions suggest that between 12.0 and 33.2 ORVs per 0.16 km are appropriate for the ORV route, depending on what evaluative dimension (i.e., ‘preference’, ‘acceptability’, ‘management action’, or ‘displacement’) is considered. Maximum litter densities of 4.0–56.8 pieces of litter per 225 m2 area and a maximum waiting time to receive an ORV-use permit of 58 min to 11 h, 37 min are appropriate, again depending on the evaluative dimension considered. The normative data developed in this study can be used to help formulate standards of quality, enhance understanding of the ORV experience, and guide the management of high-quality ORV recreation.