Rationing Wilderness Use: Some Administrative and Equity Implications

Abstract

"The issue of rationing Wilderness use is upon us. Nationally, Wilderness use has been growing at approximately 10 percent a year since about 1946. Although the current economic situation casts uncertainty as to future trends, it does not seem unreasonable to expect further growth, and as a consequence more problems. In the following discussion, we would like to explore one of the important aspects of rationing--the equity implications. Well-intentioned programs to control use that fail to fully weigh the equity costs imposed by such programs will certainly encounter stiff public resistances. One particularly serious consequence of such resistance might be the unwillingness of citizen groups to accept any rationing program, even when such a program is needed to prevent deterioration of the Wilderness resource."