Case studies of the role of nonprofit volunteer organizations in forest recreation and park management

Abstract

Nonprofit, volunteer organizations assist government agencies in managing the recreational resources of public lands in many parts of the Eastern United States. With a depressed economy, the role these organizations take can be particularly important in the continuing provision of quality outdoor recreation experiences. This study examines the contributions of five nonprofit groups in the East, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Green Mountain Club, Adirondack Mountain Club, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and the Appalachian Trail Conference, and their cooperative relationships with, respectively, the White Mountain National Forest, Green Mountain National Forest, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Shenandoah National Park, and the Appalachian Trail Project Office (National Park Service). Interviews with key members of the agencies and the nonprofit groups provided most of the information on club activities and the advantages, problems, and constraints of cooperative relationships from the point of view of each party. Legislation and policy affecting nonprofit involvement on public lands is discussed as well as the prospects of future involvement of these groups.