Some wildernesses have no system of visitor registration; managers of most of the 

 areas that do have a registration system are uncertain how registered use compares with 

 actual use. This is a serious problem, particularly because of the rapid growth of use 

 of National Forest and National Park Wilderness. National Forest visitor-days of wil- 

 derness use were estimated at only one-twentieth of developed campground use in 1946, 

 but 20 years later this proportion had grown to about one-seventh. We should be skepti- 

 cal about the figures, but the trend is undeniably strongly upwards. Use projections 

 strongly suggest large future increases . •'• 



This rising use is occurring on a land base of established wilderness that has 

 remained almost unchanged in total area during the past 30 years; thus, these growing 

 use pressures need to be managed. Use estimates in the past that have been based 

 largely on informal observation, experience, and intuition are not acceptable today. 

 Consequently, the need for sound estimates of wilderness use now is critical--bef ore 

 wilderness values are irrevocably damaged or destroyed. 



■^University of California Wildland Research Center, Wilderness and recreation-- 

 a report on resources, values, and problems, ORRRC Study Report 3, Outdoor Recreation 

 Resources Review Comm., Wash., D.C., 1962, pp. 235-236, and unpublished projections of 

 the National Forest Recreation Survey (NFRS) indicate about an eight- to tenfold 

 increase between 1959 and 2000. 



