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<br />. <br /> <br />t " <br />,4, <br />JJ' 026l~ <br /> <br />, 185 <br /> <br />./ <br />184 I Preserving the Recreation Environment <br /> <br />representatives must begin to recognize that recreation resource development <br />(when over-developmental or when illt.:ompalible recreation pursuits are pro- <br />mo~ed) can ~e as great an exploiter of the environment as industries that dump <br />their waSles mio our nation's rivers. Just 3S industry Ileeds to be curbed so too <br />must the U.S. Forest Service lose its taste for pork and begin to recognize and <br />respect the long-term public interest. <br />In ,doing so, they will genuinely demonstrate that "they are as concerned as <br />we are.' <br /> <br />LAW AND ORDER IN PUBLIC PARKS <br /> <br />Frederick L. Campbell, John C. Hendee <br />and Roger Clark 1 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Camping and picnicking in public campgrounds are important leisure time <br />activities for millions of Americans, and their popularity is increasing. Each <br />weekend, campgrounds are tr:msformed into Illigr:mt communities ranging in <br />size from a few families to several thousand people. These communities, like <br />others, h,ve problems of law and order. Theft, v,ndalisll1, ,nd rule viol, lion ore <br />common in most parks. A surprising range of major crimes is found in some of <br />the larger campgrounds. These activities depreciate the recreation experience and <br />often violate the rights of recreationists. Maintaining law and order in public <br />parks is a serious problem in recreation management. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />STUDYING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS <br /> <br />Last summer, we studied behavior problems in public recreation areas in the <br />St,te of WoshinglOn.2 Three intensively developed campgrounds were studied- <br />one each in a national forest, national park, and state park. The campgrounds <br />were all large, water oriented, well developed, and frequently drew overflow <br />crowds. <br />Camping in each campground, our team of observers deliberately looked for <br />depreciative or deviant behavior. Our activities included informal talks with users, <br />daily inspectIOn tours for new damage, periodic observation of congested <br />locations, and briefing sessions with campground personnel. We recorded every <br />deviant act observed or reported to us and, when possible, inform<llly inter- <br />viewed the parties involved. Although the study will continue for two more <br />years and our data is necessarily incomplete, our preliminary findings are <br />significant. <br />Surprislngly, depreciative behav\or in public parks is much more extensive <br />than we were led to expect from interviews with recreation managers and <br />campers. Because we looked harder and mo're systematically, we saw more <br />problem behavior than the avemge cam~er. Although we observed many <br />depreciative acts, our attention was drawn to a continual series of major and <br />minor violations carried out by people who were either unthinking or considered <br /> <br />Reprinted from Park! and Recrear;ol1, Vol. 3, December 1968, pp, 28-31 and 5 i-55, <br />with permission from the National Recreation and Park Association. <br /> <br />I Dr. Campbell is assistant professor of sociology, University of Washington; Dr. Hende <br />is recreation research project leader, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest & Range <br />Experiment Station; Me. Clark is research assistant, forestry, UniverSIty of Washington. <br /> <br />2The research was sponsored by the Pacifu.: Northwest Forest & Range Experiment <br />Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. <br />