Past On-Site Experience and Its Relationship to Managing River Recreation Resources

Abstract Past on-site experience of river floaters was examined for its relationship to the perception of users toward the management of river recreation resources. Four measures of user experience were combined to form an experience index. Based on the index, floaters were divided into low, moderate, and high level of experience. The three levels of experience were examined for their relationship to: (1) user perception of river environment disturbances, (2) expressed need of management to control adverse environmental impacts, and (3) support for possible management practices. Results indicate the index is a sensitive measure of user experience, and level of experience is significantly related to user perceptions and expectations toward managing river recreation resources. Forest Sci. 29:262-266.