Modeling Impacts of Forest Roads on Recreation Opportunities

Transportation systems are one of the key components of forest recreation activities, yet they are often overlooked and seldom adequately considered in the planning process. This paper presents a road impact model (RIM) used to analyze transportation networks to determine their impact on recreation opportunities in an area. Four categories of opportunities are considered in this analysis: experiential recreation, physical recreation, transportation network, and aesthetics. The RIM model is demonstrated on a test area utilizing a geographic information system (GIS) to aid in spatial data handling. The case study presents and demonstrates an assessment framework based on simplified interpretations of the four identified opportunity classes. This spatially explicit approach will aid recreation planning through providing information on current recreation opportunities and on potential recreation opportunities driven by changes to the road or trail systems in an area. North. J. Appl. For. 14(4):194-201.