Jeffrey L Marion | United States Geological Survey (original) (raw)

Jeffrey L Marion

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Papers by Jeffrey L Marion

Soil Science Society of America Journal, 1985

Journal of Interpretation Research, 2020

The efficacy of different Leave No Trace (LNT) communication interventions designed to persuade f... more The efficacy of different Leave No Trace (LNT) communication interventions designed to persuade forest visitors to practice low-impact camping behaviors were evaluated. Three depreciative campsite behaviors—littering, tree damage, and surface disposal of human waste—were evaluated by before-and-after resource condition assessments. Three LNT communication interventions were evaluated against a control: (1) an LNT brochure and poster display (non-personal), (2) personal LNT communication by a forest naturalist, and (3) a combination of both non-personal and personal methods. The study population was overnight campers using dispersed road-accessed campsites in Western Maryland’s Green Ridge State Forest. LNT communication successfully improved resource conditions for the targeted depreciative behaviors. For litter and human waste, personal communication by a forest naturalist was effective, but the non-personal method was ineffective. In contrast, tree damage was significantly reduced...

Protected area managers, tourism providers, and other organizations commonly employ education pro... more Protected area managers, tourism providers, and other organizations commonly employ education programs to address visitation-related impairment of natural and cultural resources, social conditions, and neighboring communities. These programs have different names (Leave No Trace, Codes of Conduct, Environmental Guidelines for Tourists) but share common objectives: to sustain opportunities for high quality visitor experiences while avoiding or minimizing associated negative impacts to protected area resources, visitor experiences, and park neighbors. Theoretical and empirical research studies in the United States are reviewed to evaluate the efficacy of educational efforts that seek to encourage adoption of low impact behaviors. Findings reveal that most of the visitor education efforts evaluated did effectively alter visitor knowledge, behavior and/or resource and social conditions in the intended direction. These findings, including discussions of message content, delivery, audience...