Stakeholder Perceptions of Boating in the Saranac Lakes Region of New York

Project Title:

Perceptions of Stakeholders in the Saranac Lake Region of New York

Award Year:

2004

Collaborator(s):

NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County, NY

Diane Kuehn: Stakeholder Perceptions of Boating in the Saranac Lakes Region of New York

Water-based recreation, such as boating, is popular throughout the Northern Forest, but conflicts between users can arise as different stakeholders compete for the same resources. NSRC researchers studied differences and similarities in stakeholder values, beliefs, and attitudes towards motorized boating, non-motorized boating, and personal watercraft use (e.g. jet skis) in the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest area of New York’s Adirondack Park. The forest area contains 79,000 acres of state land and 142 bodies of water.

Researchers first interviewed 20 land managers and used interview results to write mail surveys sent to landowners, business owners, and campers. About 420 landowners, 440 campers, and 25 business owners responded. Surveys revealed important differences concerning the beliefs and attitudes towards participation in non-motorized and motorized boating, indicating a potential source of social conflict between local residents and campers. Important similarities among stakeholders were identified concerning the attitudes and beliefs towards personal watercraft, indicating an opportunity for consensus-building by land managers with regard to management of this type of boating.

Study findings were presented to state land managers and will be used in creation of the Saranac Lakes Unit Management Plan. Results can also be used by forest managers throughout the Northeast to better understand differences in perceptions among stakeholder groups towards water-based recreation. Detailed study results can be found at http://www.esf.edu/for/kuehn/reports.htm/.

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Related Publications:

Kuehn, D., R. Schuster, and E. Nordman. 2015. Landowner perceptions of three types of boating in the Saranac Lakes area of New York State’s Adirondack Park. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism 9: 53-63.

Kuehn, D., R. Schuster, M. Mink, and E. Nordman. 2009. Beliefs and attitudes toward boating of four stakeholder groups in the Saranac Lakes area. Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies 15 (2): 25-35.

Kuehn, D., and R. Schuster. 2009. Campers’ perspectives about boating in the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest. Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium, March 30 – April 1, 2008, Bolton Landing, NY. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report. Northeastern Forest Experiment Station: Radnor, PA.

Kuehn, D. and R. Schuster. 2008. Recreation-related values, attitudes, and beliefs of business owners in the Saranac Lake Region of New York State’s Adirondack Park. Proceedings of the 2007 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium, April 15-17, 2007, Bolton Landing, NY. US Forest Service General Technical Report. Northeastern Forest Experiment Station: Radnor, PA.

Kuehn, D., M. Mink, and R. Schuster. 2007. Recreation-related perceptions of natural resource managers in the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest. Proceedings of the 2006 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium, April 9-11, 2006, Bolton Landing, NY. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report NRS-P-14. Northeastern Forest Experiment Station: Radnor, PA.