The Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework is a planning framework developed by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) to help guide visitor use planning and decision-making in U.S. national parks. The research reported here highlights the perceptions of park practitioners about major successes and challenges associated with visitor management and recreation planning using the VERP framework. We used a qualitative multiple case study design to explore three (3) national parks that have applied the framework. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with park managers, park planners, and recreation scientists, and used thematic coding to categorize the data to capture relevant themes. Our results show that lack of training and leadership in the social dimensions of resource management has limited the successful application of VERP. On the other hand, closely following framework procedures and maintaining quality partnerships with entities both within the agency and outside to facilitate planning efforts, has helped visitor management approaches achieve desired outcomes. This research contributes to the ongoing work of visitor use specialists by using lessons learned and applying them to future planning. It provides tangible outcomes to park managers by providing examples of VERP application to base decisions.
A management perspective to using Public Participation GIS in planning for visitor use in national parks
