TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences 316

  RECREATION MANAGEMENT OF WILDLANDS

Online access: http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/Courses/316/

(Lecture Hall: HALB 104;  Tue/ Thu  @ 3:55 -5:10 pm)

Instructor:                             

Dr. Sanjay K. Nepal                                                                         

Francis Hall 309                                                                            

Tel: 979 862 4080

Email:  sknepal@tamu.edu

Office Hours:   By appointment 

Required Text: 

Reading Packet: A package containing lecture summaries, powerpoint notes, sample assignments, and additional readings are available from Notes & Quotes. 

Hammitt, W.E. and Cole, D.N. (1998) Wildland Recreation - Ecology and Management. (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley.

Krakauer, J. (1997). Into the Wild. New York: Anchor Books.

Additional supplemental materials may be provided throughout the semester in a timely manner.

Course Webpage: All course materials posted on the web will be updated in a timely manner. Please check the website for important notices (e.g., upcoming events and exams). 

Course Guide: Visit the course website and click Course Guide.This guide contains relevant web-based materials available through the TAMU library. These materials will help you in your preparation for exams, class excercises, case study development, etc.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an overview of recreation resource management challenges and opportunities in wildland areas. For the purpose of this course, wildland recreation areas are defined as natural areas primarily in backcountry settings.

Course Purpose: 

The purpose of this course is to familiarize you with principles and guidelines for recreation management of wildland. Three inter-related themes will be explored: visitors, impacts and management. Emphasis will be placed on applied approaches to integrated management of recreation resources in wildlands.

The course is divided into three units: (1) wildland recreation philosophy, visitor use, and visitor behavior; (2) ecological and social impacts of wildland recreation; (3) and monitoring and management of wildland recreation resource impacts.

The course involves lectures, review of handouts and course materials, interactive discussions and debates, case study development, in-class exercises, student presentations, and a field trip (optional). The textbook readings are required as preparations for class discussion.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, you will:

1)      identify recreation management issues in wildands;

2)      recognize the most common ecological and social impacts of outdoor recreation in wildlands;

3)      develop skills in recreation resource impacts monitoring techniques;

4)      distinguish best practices in wildland recreation management nationally and internationally; and

5)      evaluate the contentious nature of human-wildland interactions.

TENTATIVE CALENDAR

Jan 15                          Course Introduction

UNIT 1: WILDLAND RECREATION PHILOSOPHY AND VISITOR USE

 Jan 17                         Introduction   (Chapter 1)

Required Reading: Hendee, J.C. and Dawson, C.P. (2002) Chapter 1 Wilderness Management - Philosophical Direction. In Wilderness Management - Stewardship and Protection of Resources and Values. (3rd ed.) Golden, CO: Fulcrum, pp. 3-29.  Download this chapter from the course webpage: http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/courses/316

Jan 22/24                     Wildland Recreation Philosophies, History and Rationale

                                    Video: Wild by Law

Required Reading: Hendee, J.C. and Dawson, C.P. (2002) Chapter 1 Wilderness Management - Philosophical Direction. In Wilderness Management - Stewardship and Protection of Resources and Values. (3rd ed.) Golden, CO: Fulcrum, pp. 3-29. Download this chapter from the course webpage: http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/courses/316

Jan 29                          Trends in Visitors Activities and Use Types (Chapter 7);

Required Reading: Watson, E. (2000) Wilderness Use in the year 2000: Societal changes that influence human relationships with wilderness. In Cole, D.N., McCool, S. F., Borrie, W. T. and O'Laughlin, J. (compilers) Wilderness Science in a Time of Change  Conference. Volume 4. Wilderness Ecosystems, Threats, and Management. 1999 May 23-27 Missoula, MT Proceedings, Ogden: USDA Forest Service, pp. 53-60.Download at http://leopold.wilderness.net/pubs/388.pdf

Jan 31                          Wildland Values - Role Play and Debate.  Book Review Due

                                    Format will be discussed in class, and relevant handouts will be distributed well ahead of the debate schedule

   Required Reading: Hendee, J.C. and Dawson, C.P. (2002) Chapter 1 Wilderness Management - Philosophical Direction. In Wilderness Management - Stewardship and Protection of Resources and Values. (3rd ed.) Golden, CO: Fulcrum, pp. 3-29. Download this chapter from the course webpage: http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/courses/316

Cordell, H.K., Tarrant, M.A. and Green, G.T. (2003) Is the public viewpoint of wilderness shifting. International Journal of Wilderness 9 (2), pp. 27-32. Download at

http://www.wilderness.net/library/documents/aug03_cordell.pdf

 Feb 5                         Quiz I (15 minutes); "Into the Wild" discussion

UNIT 2: WILDLAND RECREATION IMPACTS

Feb 7/12                      Ecological Impacts: Soil (Chapter 2), Vegetation (Chapter 3)

Feb 14/19                    Ecological Impacts: Wildlife (Chapter 4)

Feb 19 - Class Exercise-A Grizzly Story

Feb  21                        Water (Chapter 5)

Feb 26/28                    Influencing factors (Chapters 6,8 9)

March 4                       Mid -Term Exam      

UNIT 3: MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING OF WILDLAND RECREATION IMPACTS

March 6/11                  Concepts of Management of Wildland Recreation Impacts (Chapter 10, 12-14)

                                    Recommended Reading: National Outdoor Leadership School (1992) Leave No Trace – Outdoor Skills & Ethics. Lander, WY: NOLS. 14 pp.

Download at: http://www.nols.edu/lnt.principles.shtml

March 13/18                Impact Monitoring Techniques (Chapter 11)

Required Reading: Leung, Yu-Fai and Marion, J.L. (2000) Recreation Impacts and Management in Wilderness: A State of Knowledge Review. In Cole, D.N., McCool, S. F., Borrie, W. T. and O'Laughlin, J. (compilers) Wilderness Science in a Time of Change  Conference. Volume 4. Wilderness Ecosystems, Threats, and Management. 1999 May 23-27 Missoula, MT Proceedings, Ogden: USDA Forest Service, pp. 53-60. Download at  http://www.wilderness.net/library/documents/science1999/Volume5/Leung_5-4.pdf

Recommended Reading: Cole, D.N. (1989) Wilderness Campsite Monitoring Methods – A Sourcebook. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station General Technical Report, 57 pp. Download at http://leopold.wilderness.net/pubs/179.pdf

March 20                     Steps in monitoring impacts (Class Exercise - Muddy Boots)

March 22/23                Field trip (optional) to Lick Creek Park, College Station

                                    Hands-on session on visitor impact measurement, data collection, and monitoring techniques.

                                    Hand outs will be distributed prior to the day trip.

March 25                     Class Exercise (Independent) - Muddy Boots

March 27                     Case Study - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

                     Required Reading: Leung, Yu-Fai and Marion, J.L. (1999) Characterizing backcountry camping impacts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Journal of Environmental Management 57(3): 193-203.

Download this paper from the course web page:

http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/courses/316

April 1                          Student Presentations 1 & 2  

April 3                          Case Study  - Mt. Everest National Park, Nepal

Required Reading: Nepal, S.K. and Nepal, S.A. (2004) Visitor impacts on trails in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal. Ambio 33(6): 334-340. Download this paper from the course web page: http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/courses/316

April 8                          Quiz II (15 minutes); Student Feedback

April 10                        Student Presentations  3 & 4

April 15                        Case Study  - Mt. Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Required Reading: Nepal, S.K. and Way, P. Characterizing and comparing backcountry trail conditions in Mt. Robson Provincial Park, Canada. Download this paper from the course web page: http://www.rpts.tamu.edu/courses/316

April 17                        No class

April 22                        Student Presentations 5 & 6

April 24                        Student Presentations 7& 8

April 29                        Future of Wildland Recreation (Chapter 15);

Required Reading: Cole, D.N. (2001) Management Dilemmas that will Shape Wilderness in the 21^st Century. Journal of Forestry 99 (1) 4-8. Download at: http://leopold.wilderness.net/pubs/419.pdf

Final Exam Review; Course Evaluation

May 6                          Final Exam, 1-3 pm, HALB 104

ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION

1. Book Review: 100 points  or 10%   Due Jan 31

You are required to read the book "Into the Wild"by Jon Krakauer. Based on the book, you will submit a 2 page (single spaced) review of this book. Details of this will be provided later on.

2. Class Debate 50 points  or 5%   January 31

You will participate in a class debate about values of wildland. You will be put in different camps, and will present and argue your case using prepared talking points. More details will follow.

3. Two In-class Quizzes: 100 points  or 10%  February 5 and April 8

There will be 2 class quizzes. Each quiz will consist of 20 "fill in the blanks" or multiple choice type questions. The purpose of the quiz is to review whether or not you understand the basic concepts discussed during the course. You have 15 minutes to complete the quiz.

4. Two In-class Exercises: 100 points  or 10% Due Feb 19 and March 25

There will be 2 in-class exercises. Each exercise is designed to apply concepts learned in class to a practical problem. Each exercise is worth 50 points. Details of the exercise will be provided later on.

5. Student Presentation (Group): Oral and Written Case Studies 100 points or 10%

You will be one among 5 students to prepare a case study of visitor impact management in a federal or state wildland. The case study selection must be approved by the instructor.

More information on presentation schedules and guidelines will be announced later.

Based on your oral presentation mentioned above, a professionally prepared written report should be submitted to the instructor on the last day of class (April 24).

Reports must be typed using a 12 Point Font (New Times Roman), doubled-spaced, appropriately referenced and clearly printed.  It should be approximately 25 pages long (including references, maps, and graphics). Include the number of words of your text (excluding your name, the title of the paper, and references) on the front cover. See your instructor or course TA if you have any questions.

6. Written Exam:

Mid-term - 150 points or 15%; March 4 (topics covered until Feb 28);

Final - 300 points or 30%; May 8, 1-3 pm  (topics covered since March 6)

7. Field Trip (Optional)  March 22 or 23 (Extra credit: 25 points)

The purpose of this field trip is to provide a hands-on exercise on recreation resource impact assessment and monitoring. Handouts and detail information will be provided later on.

8. Participation 100 points or 10%

This is a highly interactive class, and your full participation is expected. Mere attendance will not count towards participation. Leading in discussion, facilitating group activities, asking and answering questions, being prompt to class etc. will be strongly considered.

9. In-class Bonus Points 25 or 2.5%

25 bonus points can be earned, at the instructor’s discretion, by participating in impromptu activities. This may include attendance in class on certain days, extra effort in exams, etc.  

GRADING - A QUICK GLANCE:

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. Required Text & Readings: Students must come prepared to comment or discuss specific issues outlined in the readings. Active participation in class discussion and Q&A sessions is highly encouraged. Passive participation or inaction will influence your final grade (10 percent of the total points).

2. Attendance and Class Participation: Attendance will be recorded at the beginning of each class. Frequent absences in class will not be tolerated. Five or more unexcused absences will automatically result in an "F". Please let your instructor KNOW IN ADVANCE the days that you are going to be absent. In the event of an emergency, which prevents you from coming to the class, please let a family member or a friend notify me. Just attending the class will not guarantee full participation marks. Tardiness will not be tolerated; students who walk in late or get out early, or fall asleep during lectures will not receive any points for participation.  

I expect students to come to class fully prepared.  This means, first, reading assigned material, taking notes from the reading, being prepared for quizzes, and engaging in class discussions and presentation.  Second, it means refraining from activities that will distract them, their classmates, and me from what is going on in class.  To this end, I expect students to turn cell phones off, not chat with people next to them, and abstain from behaviors that are not directly related to course material (e.g., doing crossword puzzles, doing homework for another exam, staring at your cell phone, listening to the I-Pod, etc). 

4. Assignments: Must be submitted on or before due date and time. Late assignments are not accepted. 

5. Scholastic Dishonesty: Consistent with Texas A&M University Regulations, scholastic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism and acquiring information from unauthorized sources) will result in the student being given an F in the course.

As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person. This includes notes included in course packets and other in-class handouts. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated. If I have doubts about your written work I may submit your writing to www.turnitin.com. Please do your own work.

All rules of AGGIE HONOR CODE are strictly enforced in this class. Please refer to http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor. Refer also to http://rules.tamu.edu/urules/100/159903m1.htm

6. Brief Note on People with Disabilities:

If you need accommodations in this class related to a disability, please make an appointment with the instructor to discuss this as soon as possible. Texas A&M University provides academic adjustments and auxiliary aids to students with disabilities who otherwise meet academic requirements of the institution.

7. TAMU Neo-Account:

Please activate your TAMU neo-account.  I will email you periodically with class announcements. 

8. Learning Process: The process of learning is a multidimensional one. Your instructor is just a FACILITATOR to help you achieve your goals for learning. You are encouraged to actively engage in class discussion; however, do not get too carried away (e.g., direct the discussion the way you wanted to go, ignore the issues raised by your peers, stick to your guns, etc.) Be respectful to your instructors and to your peers. You will be surprised how much your peers know about a certain topic. Ask questions, there is no such thing as a stupid or dumb question. Great ideas start with very simple and seemingly dumb questions!

Note: Should you find any inconsistencies or confusing statements on this calendar, please notify the instructor immediately.

ENJOY THE CLASS!