Visitors' values of natural resources and cultural resources on Dakota Prairie National Grasslands

Abstract

Managing Dakota Prairie National Grasslands requires an understanding of visitor relationships to nature and culture. As national grasslands continue to draw visitors for recreation, relaxation, and wildlife observation the value visitors place on associated resources is important to the management decision process. At the request of the Forest Service, the study focus was specifically on national grasslands visitors. The objectives were to 1) determine the value stakeholders have on our natural resources, 2) determine the value stakeholders place on cultural resources, and 3) national grasslands visitors' perceptions on the origin of federal policies concerning natural and cultural resources. Thus, visitors including interest groups and range scientists were primary sources of data. Qualitative analysis methods were used to determine that for visitors, natural resources were valued more than cultural resources. Furthermore, the general perception of visitors was that policies concerning natural resources originate at local levels whereas cultural resources policies originate at the federal level. Public school systems have had little inclusion of environmental education in their curriculum and the Forest Service has been responsible to keep visitors informed about national grassland ecology. Because the Forest Service mission does not include the preservation of cultural resources there is little initiative by the Forest Service to protect those resources. Therefore, damage to cultural artifacts on national grasslands by uninformed visitors is likely. The future of national grasslands management clearly rests on the integration of natural and cultural resources training and education for both employees and visitors.