W ilderness and other public land management
agencies, both federal and state, have been
feeling a pinch. It seems this pinch may partly
be in response to a growing perception, or perhaps misperception,
that nature-based, especially wildland recreation, is on
the decline. This perception has been getting a lot of media
attention of late. Some of us who have done research about
nature-based recreation trends for years wonder what the reaction
to such a perception might be. We wonder especially how
congressional, legislative, administrative, and other recreation
and wildland protection policy and budget makers might be
reacting. Might there be negative effects on funding for
matching grant programs or on related federal and state wildland
protection programs, such as budgets and staffing levels
for wilderness management?