Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Fort Collins Science Center (FORT), is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for advancing novel approaches for visitor monitoring and management on federal public lands. Federal land management agencies are required to estimate visitation, and these data on recreational use are critical for planning and decision-making. However, estimating visitation numbers can be complex, expensive, and logistically challenging, particularly in places that are more remote or porous in nature (e.g., not a single entrance point). Consequently, researchers have begun testing the feasibility and accuracy of using novel approaches to measure visitation to public lands. Novel approaches can include social media data, mobile device data, and mining websites for trip reports. Various federal agencies have also started testing the use of these types of data sources; however, there is a need to better understand what contexts they work well for across agencies. Additionally, there is a need to document the current state of knowledge and best practices for using this type of data across agencies. This cooperative project will expand USGS knowledge of methods to estimate visitation on federal lands, which will help other on-going efforts within USGS and across DOI agencies as well.