The document provides an overview of the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council, including its mission to provide guidance on visitor use management policies across agencies. It discusses the challenges of inconsistent implementation of visitor use management and litigation risks. It then summarizes the Council's activities like developing a visitor use management framework and guidance documents. The framework presents a process for managing visitor use through defining desired conditions, management strategies, and monitoring to sustain resource conditions and visitor experiences.

1. WORKING ACROSS AGENCY LINES
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2. Presentation Overview
• History and mission of the Interagency Visitor Use
Management Council (the Council)
• Update on the council’s activities
• Overview of the council’s position paper and visitor use
management framework
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3. • History and mission of the Interagency Visitor Use
Management Council (the Council)
• Update on the council’s activities
• Overview of the council’s position paper and visitor use
management framework
3

4. 4THE IMPORTANCE OF AND CHALLENGES WITH VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT AND VISITOR CAPACITY
The Challenge of Litigation

5. Inconsistent and inadequate
implementation of VUM and capacity
methodologies across the agencies:
• Not meeting agencies’ missions
• Reduced accountability
• Confusion in the field
• Inability to demonstrate success
• Litigation
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The Challenge of Implementation

6. Proactively planning for visitor use
maximizes the ability of agencies to
encourage access and protect
resources and values
Importance of Visitor Use Management
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7. The Interagency Visitor Use Management Council
Mission:
Provide guidance on long-term visitor use
management policies and give direction on the most
pressing needs by building technical competencies
and improving interagency coordination.

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• Consistent guidance across agencies
• Elevate the professional and scientific
approach to managing visitor use
• Increased communication and collaboration
• Cost savings and improved efficiency
• More defensible decision-making
Expected Outcomes

9. • History and mission of the Interagency Visitor Use
Management Council (the Council)
• Update on the council’s activities
• Overview of the council’s position paper and visitor use
management framework
9

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1. Establish guidance directives
2. Develop tools
3. Conduct training
4. Communicate effectively
5. Build institutional capacity
Work Plan

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• Developed a visitor use management framework for agency
planning and decision-making processes, includes common
definitions for key terms
• Compiled and analyzed agency policies on visitor use management
• Developing separate “how-to” guidebooks for:
— visitor capacity
— indicators and thresholds
• Collaborated with the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers
Coordinating Council on their guidebook for “Addressing User
Capacities in Comprehensive River Management Plans”
Highlights for Recent Council Activities

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• Developed council operating procedures and recruited over 15
volunteers to support the council’s work
• Prepared a communications plan and organized an outreach team
• Developing a council website for council products and a
clearinghouse of existing visitor use management information
• Coordinating with the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor
Recreation
• Coordinating with related agency programs and councils
Highlights for Recent Council Activities (Continued)

13. • History and mission of the Interagency Visitor Use
Management Council (the Council)
• Update on the council’s activities
• Overview of the council’s position paper and visitor use
management framework
13

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• Shift focus from narrow concept of visitor capacity to the broader
concept of visitor use management
• Key terms are consistently defined across agencies
• Presents a visitor use management framework to be integrated into
agency decision making processes -- using a sliding scale approach
• Specific guidance for applicable legal requirements re: capacity
— Wild and Scenic Rivers
— NPS General Management Plans
— National Scenic and National Historic Trails
Council Position Paper

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Process for managing all characteristics of
visitor use and settings
• Sustain resource conditions and visitor
experiences
• Variety of strategies and tools
— Education
— Site Management
— Regulation
— Enforcement
— Rationing/allocation
Visitor Use Management

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• Subcomponent of visitor use
management
• Maximum amounts and types
of visitor use that an area can
accommodate
• While sustaining desired
resource conditions and
visitor experiences
Visitor Capacity

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Visitor Use Management Framework
Purpose:
• Make decisions about VUM
• Analytical thought process
• Apply to all VUM issues/concerns
• Not a stand-alone process
• Flexibility - Sliding scale of analysis

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Visitor Use Management Framework
Criteria:
• Unified guidance (multi-agency)
• Defensible, transparent process, agency accountability
• Desired conditions defined
• Proactive response to changes in resource and social conditions
• Clarify role of visitor capacity
• Compatible with existing planning processes
• Executable by field-level staff
• Incorporate the sliding scale of analysis

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Visitor Use Management Framework
1) Clarify project purpose and need.
2) Review the area’s purpose,
legislation, policy and management
direction.
3) Assess existing information and
current conditions.
4) Develop project planning strategy.
Element 1 – Build the Foundation

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Visitor Use Management Framework
5) Define desired conditions
(resources, recreation opportunities,
visitor experiences).
6) Define suitable visitor uses, facilities,
and services based on desired
conditions.
7) Determine acceptable levels of
impact.
Element 2 - Define Visitor Use Management Direction

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Visitor Use Management Framework
8) Compare and document the differences between existing and
desired conditions and, for visitor related impacts, clarify the
specific links to visitor use characteristics.
9) Identify visitor use management strategies and actions to
achieve desired conditions.
10) Where necessary, identify visitor capacities and strategies to
manage use levels within capacities.
11) Develop monitoring strategies.
Element 3 - Identify Management Strategies

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Visitor Use Management Framework
12) Implement management actions.
13) Conduct and document ongoing
monitoring and evaluate the
effectiveness of management actions
in achieving desired conditions.
14) Adjust management actions if needed
to achieve desired conditions and
document rationale.
Element 4-Implement, monitor, evaluate, and adjust

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QUESTIONS?