Date of Award:

2011

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology

Advisor/Chair:

Dr. Richard S. Krannich

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to look at the preferred use and management of public lands in the state of Utah. The data used in this study was collected through a statewide, random survey measuring the respondent’s preferred use and management of public lands along with social and demographic information. Several quantitative tests were conducted on the variables used to illustrate the following: a snapshot of what the survey population looks like, how each independent variable interacts with the dependent variable, and finally, the combined interaction of all of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The primary goal of this thesis is to add more information to the growing body of literature on public land uses and preferences. Specifically, this research hopes to shed some light on how people in Utah feel about the use and management of public lands that exist within the borders. A secondary purpose in this study is to provide agencies and individuals that have a say in the use and management of public lands with information that will help them to manage public lands to more closely resemble the desires of the state residents. If a characteristic (or set of characteristics) is identified as a reliable predictor of preferences, those people and agencies who have the power to decide how public lands will be used will have a better indicator as to how well their decision will go over based on the characteristics of the population in that area.

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on April 10, 2012.


Download

Included in

Sociology Commons

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student.