Participation, Preferences, and Characteristics of Outlying-Cabin Users in Alaska National Forests

Abstract

The development and management of public-use cabins have been planned, or at least considered, by several federal and state agencies in Alaska. This bulletin reports the results of a pilot study of the cabin program of the U.S. Forest Service. There are problems of aggregated data which did not allow for detailed analysis; however, the report does provide an overview of the Forest Service outlying cabin program-who uses it, how they use it, and how they feel about it. The manager should be careful in applying the results without consideration of the total recreational spectrum, i.e., where the cabin program fits within this spectrum, and its cost in terms of other recreation opportunities that may be specified. It is the opinion of the authors that it would be unwise to simply mass reproduce the outlying cabin program in all areas having periods of inclement weather. The study sampled only cabin users-not all users or potential users of the particular landscape setting. To over-emphasize an expanded cabin program would reduce the continuum of opportunities. While subsequent studies of the cabin user population would likely find this group to prefer the new program, the users who did not prefer it or who were unwilling to adopt to new conditions would have been displaced. Thus, while the results have some direct applicability, it is also important to consider the maintenance of the continuum of recreational opportunities, only one portion of which is covered by outlying cabins.