Validation of trailside registration boxes

H. E. Echelberger; R. E. Leonard; H. J. Plumley

ABSTRACT:

Managers of backcountry recreation areas need to have reliable information about use levels and traffic patterns on their trails. Trailside registration boxes are an effective means of obtaining this information. However, each registration box requires validation to determine its compliance rate. Knowledge of the compliance rate for each box enables the manager to make intelligent choices in the allocation of his financial personnel resources. Three validation techniques—personal monitoring, electronic recorder, and automatic photography—involve varying degrees of cost and accuracy.

Footnotes

H. E. Echelberger is research forester, R. E. Leonard is project leader, and H. J. Plumley is landscape architect with the Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.
Copyright 1981 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.