Analysis of visitor impact on the environments of the Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park and implications for recreational management

摘要

The Cradle Mountain - Lake.St. Clair National Parkudis one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state,udhaving 135,000 day visitors and 16,000 daywalkers and back-countryudwalkers in 1979/80. The majority of visitors wereudwell educated and were either in professional.and administrativeudpositions or were students. 'Seventy percent of theudbackcountry visitors were from the mainland states.udThe large number of walkers in the park have contributedudtowards the deterioration of the track system, withud29% of the tracks in a poor state. Badly damaged tracksudare concentrated at high altitudes and on ill-drained areasudwhere user intensity exceeds 1500 persons per annum.udTrack rehabilitation and relocation to allow comfortudnear the vehicle access points and to avoid further environmentaluddamage elsewhere will cost approximately $700,000.udThe rate of recolonization of alpine areas baredudand eroded by trampling is extremely slow and active rehabilitationudmay be required. Recolonization of subalpine heaths,udsedgelands and grasslands seems to be adequate.udThe problems of littering and track deteriorationudrecognised by the questionnaire respondents seem partlyudsusceptible to solution through manipulatory techniques of park management. A fee system, overwhelmingly supported by questionnaire respondents, could easily cover the costsudof solving the physical problems of track deterioration.udThe key to successful park management is theudeducation of actual and potential park users. Withoutudtheir support and appreciation of management problems andudstrategies, the most well thought out management plan wouldudnot realize its goals.