UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Kies, William S.
Title:
Dept./Program:
Geography
Year:
2004
Degree:
M.A.
Abstract:
The Northern Forest has provided the people of the region a place to work, live, and recreate for generations. In recent years, much of the traditional economic and political landscape has changed. The growing trend of using large conservation easements in the Northern Forest represents a shift in the spatial strategy to control and manage the resources and people of the region. The new land tenure patterns created through the implementation of conservation easements have influenced recreational opportunities and access. Interviews and mailed surveys were used to determine how people use three large conservation easement properties, their overall awareness and support for conservation easements, and the impacts on access. The lack of uniformity is a product of three determining factors: 1) historical land tenure patterns; 2) diversity of easements; and 3) scale of the Northern Forest. This study has identified and examined the value of recreation in the Northern Forest and sought to highlight the important changes that are occurring because of conservation easements.