Managing Routes and Trails - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 241

nature that no such conflicts are apparent, then no action needs to be taken
other than to monitor the use and the effects of use. If conflicts or incompat-
ibilities are identified or anticipated, then it is appropriate to proceed with
stage four. The process of stages four through to seven are shown in the
schema in Figure 7.6.
The model was applied in a 1994 pilot study to a short section of the
Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, to understand better its
applicability and usefulness in a real situation and to provide provincial gov-
ernment managers with useful information to determine what actions
should be taken regarding recreational use of the river. It is important to note

Units Access

Identify River Units Type Intensity

Nonmotorized-land
& water

Single-high or
low number of users
Double-high or
low numbers of users
Multiple-high or
low numbers of users

Physical Social

Wild flow
Pool ripple flow
Steady flow

Motorized-land,
water & air

Urban
Village/rural
Backcountry

Integrated Access

Integrated Units

Prioritize

Activities by units, zones and access
Key indicators of impact, use and experience

Thresholds
Identify Inventories and
Indicators for Each Unit

Individual
Group

Physical Social

Bank erosion
Water quality
pH level
BOD
etc.

Group size
User group conflicts
Number of users
Satisfaction/
disatisfaction
etc.

Identify

Ecological
Indicators

Experiential
norms

Figure 7.6 POLAR stages four, fi ve and six: Units, access and thresholds
Source: Modifi ed from Butler et al . (1995: 105).