interacting with grizzly and black bears unattended (Gunther and
Wyman, 2008).
Visitation to Yellowstone National Park is on the rise, with
annual visitation from 2009 to 2013 ranking among the highest
visitation years on record. Correspondingly, the number of bear
jams that occur each year will likely continue to trend upward.
When evaluating future management decisions involving bear
viewing and the amount of limited Park resources to allocate towards
the management of bear jams, the economic values associated
with the recreational activity of roadside bear viewing can
provide one important piece of information to guide decisionmaking.
For instance, if the economic benefits of retaining the
option for visitors to view bears along roadsides within Yellowstone
is greater than the personnel costs necessary to provide this
viewing opportunity in a safe manner, this management decision is
justified on economic grounds.