Date of Award:

8-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Environment and Society

Committee Chair(s)

Anna Miller

Committee

Anna Miller

Committee

Chase Lamborn

Committee

Julie Young

Committee

Emily Pomeranz

Abstract

Outdoor recreation sits at the intersection of social and ecological systems, representing one of the primary ways in which humans directly interact with their natural environment. As a result, outdoor recreation management must balance providing high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities while simultaneously protecting natural resources in protected areas. Balancing these concurrent management goals has become more challenging in recent years as participation in outdoor recreation increases. This can lead to numerous negative impacts on the environment, such as wildlife disturbance. In this study, I explore the challenges and opportunities for collaboration between managers of outdoor recreation and black bears in the Baldwin Bear Management Unit (BMU) of Michigan, a region experiencing increased recreation use on its public lands and increased human-black bear conflicts. I interviewed outdoor recreation and wildlife managers in the region to identify the pieces and interactions that exist in the social-ecological system (SES) of outdoor recreation and black bear management in the Baldwin BMU. My results include the final representation of the SES of outdoor recreation and black bear management in the Baldwin BMU of Michigan. I identified the growing participation in motorized recreation as a source of conflict in the SES that degrades black bear habitat. My findings indicate that there is a high level of collaboration among governing agencies in the system, but that these collaborations are highly specialized to either outdoor recreation or black bear management and could benefit from considering the SES as a whole in their management decisions. Last, I identified public education efforts as an opportunity for collaboration between outdoor recreation and black bear management in the Baldwin BMU; however, education must be used carefully and alongside other management strategies to ensure its effectiveness. My development of an SES framework of outdoor recreation and black bear management in the Baldwin BMU can facilitate a greater understanding of management priorities between outdoor recreation and black bear managers in the area, informing more comprehensive management decisions that serve both recreationists and black bears in Michigan.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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