MONTANA DEPARTMENT HSH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS 

 MRIS Reporting Program 



LOOKUP TABLE V - RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY SPECTRUM (ROS) 



Both the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service use the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) as 

 an indicator of the experience settings likely available. 



l=PRIMrnVE 



These areas are the largest in size and the most remote of all, where both interaction and evidence of humans are 



slight. Often the settings are the central core of wilderness areas, completely away from sights and sounds of 



people. The areas are for foot and horse traffic only. No facilities are provided. Visitors should have adequate 



outdoor skills to cope with a multitude of natural wildland conditions. They bring all their own equipment for 



camping, hiking, and the Uke. 



There is no timber harvest. Other resource activity such as grazing may occur, but is usually limited. Trails offer 



varying degrees of travel difficulty; sometimes large areas have no trails at all. There are no onsite controls over 



visitors, but they may see a back coimtry ranger occasionally. Users generally are free to travel and camp where 



they want, although there may be restrictions on camping areas near lakeshores and streambanks to help protect 



those areas. 



2 = SEMIPRIMrnVE/NONMOTORIZED 



These settings are similar to semiprimitive/motorized except they are designed for the hiker, backpacker, and horse 



user. Sights and soimds of motorized users are not found on the trails. Distant soimds of highway and logging 



traffic may sometimes be heard. 



Hiking and equestrian trails offer varying degrees of travel difficulty and provide challenges to users. The visitor 



usually displays higher degrees of outdoor skills and must bring all their own equipment for activities like canning, 



hiking, and river running. Few facilities are provided. 



Timber harvest activities may occur but are limited. Any motorized access is closed to public recreational use. 



The forest appears natural. Some onsite controls over users occur, such as trailhead registration and restrictions 



on camping areas to protect lakeshores and streamside areas. 



3 = SEMIPRIMrnVE/MOTORIZED 



These settings are somewhat remote, they are away from the main traveled highways or roads where nature 

 predominates. The visitor often must have a four-wheel drive vehicle or trail bike to travel the roads and trails. 

 Visitors may also travel by foot or horseback expecting to see the motorized user. Concentrations of users is low. 

 There may be logging or mining, but it is limited. The landscape appears predominantly natural. Recreation 

 facilities are few, if any. At some campspots there may be sealed-pit toilets and spring boxes for water. There 

 are only limited onsite controls over users, such as road closure signs and limits on where they may camp to protect 

 lake and streamside areas. 



4=R0ADED NATURAL 



These are the settings seen from the many highways and scenic roads throughout the State's underdeveloped areas 

 including National Forests. The vegetation is often managed through timber harvest to maintain a healthy, natural- 

 appearing forest. Recreation places are smaller campgrounds or winter sports facilities with moderate evidence of 

 people. 



Roads and parking areas are often gravel, though some may be paved. Facilities include toilets with sealed pits, 

 fireplaces, tables and level places for tents. Water may be provided by handpumps. There are no hookups for 

 trailers, but parking spiu^ will often accommodate self-contained units. 



Fees are charged at many campgrounds. The user is restricted to camping and picnicking in designated sites by 

 roadside barriers and is subjected to periodic visits by a compliance checker. 



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