Date of Award:

5-2012

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Environment and Society

Committee Chair(s)

Robyn L. Ceurvorst

Committee

Robyn L. Ceurvorst

Committee

Mark W. Brunson

Committee

Mark E. Miller

Abstract

This research was created collaboratively between the National Park Service and Utah State University as an explorative study addressing social implications of tamarisk management. It has created a stronger partnership between the university and the National Park Service in Moab, Utah. Through this research, Utah State University was able to find valuable social science data to aid public land managers in the planning and management of tamarisk control on the Colorado Plateau. Utah State funded a research assistant for one year to perform this research, totaling approximately $16,000.

This study focused on finding river user knowledge, preferences, and norms for tamarisk control methods on the Colorado Plateau, including chainsaw noise in backcountry and proposed wilderness areas. The findings and implications of this thesis are valuable to the academic community and public land managers. Utah State University Moab, in partnership with the National Park Service, has supported travel to multiple locations to present this research. It has been presented, and received well, at the 2011 National Association of Recreation Resource Planners Conference, 2012 Conference of Research on the Colorado Plateau, and the 2012 Tamarisk Symposium. Researchers plan to publish this thesis at Utah State University and both chapters two and three in separate journals.

Checksum

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Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on May 11, 2012.

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