Barry Lopez, 23 March 2012, Missoula, MT

Barry Lopez spoke at The University of Montana on Friday, 23 March, 2012 for about 26 minutes. I recorded his speech.

The .mp3 file: Barry Lopez, 23 March 2012, Missoula, MT

I went Looking for the Wild One

I went looking for the wild one, the howler, the vatic tramp.
The one for whom the wounded hills are body burns, who’s
blood is stained with the old love-wine of poet and earth,
warrior poet, slinging battle flak out at the static
shattering polite conversations everywhere.I looked in the anthologies, listening for echoes,
traced for signs in the quarterlies, magazines, best of’s.
I learned it’s been a good year for poetry. Grants and awards
keep coming in. Contests and prizes are proliferating,
The wise grey consensus counsels a return to the classics.

Meanwhile, poor scientist holds extinction
in a palm full of numbers
with nothing but data
to howl with.

- Rob Lewis

from: The Dark Mountain Project

GWS 2011

Document Type:
George Wright Society proceedings article.

Citation:
Douglas, Ross, Martin, and Van Kirk. 2012. Overnight Visitor Use and Computer Simulation Modeling of the Yosemite Wilderness. Pages 84-89 in: Weber, Samantha, ed. 2012. Rethinking Protected Areas in a Changing World: Proceedings of the 2011 George Wright Society Biennial Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites. Hancock, Michigan: The George Wright Society. 

George Wright Society link to PDF: Overnight Visitor Use and Computer Simulation Modeling of the Yosemite Wilderness

YOSE report

Document type:

Collaborative research project report from Humboldt State University to Yosemite National Park.

Citation:

Van Kirk, Martin, Ross, and Douglas. 2011. Simulation Modeling and Analysis of Overnight Visitor Use of the Yosemite Wilderness. Final Report to National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, El Portal, California. November 2011. 89 pages.

Table of contents and executive summary link: Simulation Modeling and Analysis of Overnight Visitor Use of the Yosemite Wilderness

MS Thesis

Document type:
Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, Natural Resources: Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, 2011

Document title:
Yosemite Wilderness Visitor Travel Patterns: Implications for Trailhead Permit Quotas

Abstract: 
Yosemite National Park uses a trailhead quota system to manage wilderness visitors. Park scientists set user carrying capacities in the 1970s for backcountry zones and trailhead quotas from prevalent travel patterns and a computer simulation model. Limiting how many visitors start daily at a trailhead maintains overnight zone use within capacity if trip characteristics (party size, trip duration, spatiotemporal itinerary adherence) remain similar to the 1970s. Evidence suggests that travel patterns have changed since this system’s inception. Data on which the original trailhead quotas were based, and the data on itinerary adherence, are nearly forty years old, and the supposition is that visitor use consists of a larger number of shorter-duration trips. Consequently, travel zone capacities are being exceeded in some zones on many high-use nights. To accurately assess wilderness use and itinerary deviation to develop a contemporary travel simulation model, wilderness trips from 1 May through 30 September 2010 were evaluated in regard to mean party size, trip duration; and spatial and temporal itinerary adherence. Strong evidence of visitor spatiotemporal itinerary deviation was found. Travel patterns suggest more concentrated use of frontcountry adjacent areas, and increased visitor attraction to iconic peaks and service facilities. Multiple visitor use scenarios were simulated and resultant use presented to inform resource managers.

Humboldt Digital Scholar archive link: Mark Douglas MS Thesis