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23 Research Objectives Tbe fonnulation of researcb to answer the three questions outlined above took into account the fact that these 400 miles of river encompass segments which differ in terms of the three types of settings referred to in the literature; the bio-pbysical, social, and managerial settings. In particular, there is substantial variety in the natural features; the manifestations of buman activity, sucb as land use, development, dams, cbannelization, population density, etc.; and the resulting management contexts and issues. Tbese variations in the recreational settings over the 400 miles of river are bighligbted in the descriptions of river segments in Appendix A. Given that the MHB has the responsibility to "preserve and protect the.. .recreational values", the task force defined this research project as a baseline study to determine the recreational values that are at stake. It was detennined that Illese values sllould be measured in various forms: in attitudinal terms, in the form of preferences, as satisfaction ratings, and choices of activities and bebaviors. A conscioos decision was made not to put tlIe values in dollar terms, sncb as recreational expenditures, tourism impacts, or wiUingness to pay. The development of a profile of river users was also judged to be important for understanding recreational values as tlIis profile would identify to wbom tlIe valnes accrue. In addition to constrncting a profile of river users, tile study is designed to gatller information pertinent to sound management on four major issues: (I) environmental quality witllin tlIe waterslled, (2) development witllin tlIe corridor, (3) congestion or conflict in recreational uses, and (4) fluctuation in instream flows. These issues emerged from tile process of discussion and interaction undertaken by tlIe management task force as it was informed by tile review of tlIe literature. Methodology And Conceptual Framework By investigating tlIe ways in which tlIe MHB could fulfill its responsibility to "preserve and protect tlIe...recreational values of tlIe Mississippi River," tlIe task force was committing itself to determining tlIe public interest in management decisions. Wilile management decision-making processes bave tile potentiallO degenerate into conflicting agencies pursuing tIleir own strategies for management, tile task force recognized tI1at decisions migbt impose trade-offs on different groups witllin tlIe general public wbich is to be served. The task force engaged in a cooperative effort to gain better information on wbat tl10se trade-offs might be. Four different groups willtin Ille population were identified based on tile values attached to tlIe recreational use of tile river and the stake tlIey would bold in management decisions. Identification of these four sub-populations dictated tIlat four separate, tlIougb similar, questionnaires were designed to gatller data from random samples of: (a) users of tlIe river who do not own riparian property, (b) riparian property owners encountered using tlIe river, (c) riparian property owners, in general, and (d) users of the river wbo use controlled access sites sucb as resorts, ouUltters, state or federal parks, etc.. The identification of tIlese sub-samples reflects tlIe concern tIlat tlIe major trade-offs imposed by management decisions migbt be between recreational users and property owners. Tbe sub-samples would allow examination of similarities aud differences, especially between locals wbo use tlIe river and tourists, and property owners wbo use the river frequenlly for recreation and tIlose wbo do not. Tbe collection of data at controlled access sites tI1rougb tlIe distribution of a self-administered questionnaire was viewed as a cost-effective way of augmenting the data in a way tIlat would focus on tourism activities related to tile river, given tlIat tIlis type of user would tend to be over-represented in tlIis sub-sample. Interviewing users encountered on tlIe river was established as tlIe backbone of tile researcb because tilis metilod would be most conducive to gatilering a representative sample of users, including locals. This was deemed particularly important in light of trends toward leisure close to b9me. As noted above, tile recreational values were to be measured in forms otiler tl1an dollar values. Accompanying tilis decision was a related decision to restrict tile scope of public values in tilis researcb to use values. That is to say, values wbich tile public might attach to river management decisions in tile form of stewardsllip motives or desires to bequeatll environmental services to future generations (wbicb economists define as existence values) or Rivers Without Boundaries 1994