Most of us participate in some form of outdoor recreation: hiking, hunting, riding all-terrain vehicles, or simply enjoying nature. Managing for outdoor recreation on public lands is mandated by federal law and an integral part of natural resource management. In this class, we'll learn why and how agencies manage recreation at the federal level, the management frameworks that guide this work, and apply management principles to an actual federal property in Minnesota. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the principles and practices of outdoor recreation management. Specific objectives are to: 1)compare and contrast federal recreation land management policies & organizations, 2)develop and demonstrate an understanding of conceptual frameworks for recreation resource and visitor use management, 3)evaluate visitor caused impacts to resources and to visitor experiences, 4)understand and apply management tools designed to reduce recreation- related impacts and conflicts, and 5)demonstrate an understanding of course material through exams & applied assignments.

Tourism is a significant industry locally, nationally, and internationally. Park and protected area attractions are among the most visited but also the most vulnerable attractions. This course is designed to familiarize you with the basic concept of park and protected area tourism, including cultural and ecotourism, and then develop your expertise to plan and evaluate sustainable tourism development and operations. Accordingly, you will complete assignments that apply the knowledge gained to planning and evaluation activities. This course is offered partially on-line. COURSE OBJECTIVES By the end of the class you will be able to: 1.Differentiate and appreciate the complexities involved with defining and developing nature, eco, heritage, geo-, park and protected, cultural and "sustainable tourism." 2.Identify specific social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with park and protected area tourism, how to measure them, and methods to minimize the negative and maximize the positive impacts. 3.Analyze domestic and international case studies of park and protected area tourism. 4.Critically evaluate park and protected area tourism services and effective management and planning. 5. Create elements of a business plan for park and protected area tourism operations that emphasize sustainability.

Recreation, leisure, and tourism are significant parts of the world, national, and state economies. Understanding visitor behavior is important and has significant implications for organizations, agencies, and businesses related to parks, tourism destinations, and museums. In this class, you will learn to apply both social science theory and methods to understand consumers, with an emphasis on visitors to parks and protected areas. You will immediately apply your learning of survey development, interviewing, observation and content analysis to real-word situations in class projects. This is an online course.

This course is designed to be an introduction to the broad field of Environmental Interpretation, Communication Theory, Visitor Information Services (VIS), and Nonformal Education experience's found in parks, nature centers, camps, zoos, museums, arboretums, and free-choice learning environments. Students will understand the definitions, role and scope of interpretation, differences between audiences and/or users of interpretive services, and distinguish between interpretive techniques based on their advantages/disadvantages. Students can also qualify for the National Association for Interpretation's (NAI) Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) program.

Negotiation of natural resource management issues. Use of collaborative planning. Case study approach to conflict management, strategic planning, and building leadership qualities. Emphasizes analytical concepts, techniques, and skills.

Policies affecting land use planning at local, state, and federal levels. Ecosystem and landscape scale planning. Collaborative and community-based approaches to planning for ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Class project applies interdisciplinary perspectives on planning and policy, including information gathering techniques, conservation planning tools, and evaluation of planning options.

This course is designed to be a directed field study of park and protected area management including observation of and training in (1) recreation planning and visitor management, (2) cultural resource management, (3) natural resource management, (4) nature-based tourism management, and (5) resource interpretation and communication across local, state, federal and tribal park and protected areas in northern Minnesota. prereq: Sophomore status or higher

This course is designed to develop and refine your understanding of tribal and Indigenous natural resource management, tribal and Indigenous perspectives, and responsibilities natural resource managers have for tribal and Indigenous communities. This course includes one eight-hour weekend field session.

Political processes in management of the environment. How disagreements are addressed by different stakeholders, private-sector interests, government agencies, institutions, communities, and nonprofit organizations.

This course is designed to be a directed field study of park and protected area management including observation of and training in (1) recreation planning and visitor management, (2) cultural resource management, (3) natural resource management, (4) nature-based tourism management, and (5) resource interpretation and communication across local, state, federal and tribal park and protected areas in northern Minnesota. prereq: Sophomore status or higher

International perspectives on resource use and sustainable development. Integration of natural resource issues with social, economic, and policy considerations. Agriculture, forestry, agroforestry, non-timber forest products, water resources, certification, development issues. Global case studies. Impact of consumption in developed countries on sustainable development in lesser developed countries.

This course is designed to develop and refine your understanding of tribal and Indigenous natural resource management, tribal and Indigenous perspectives, and responsibilities natural resource managers have for tribal and Indigenous communities. This course includes one eight-hour weekend field session.

Topics specified in Class Schedule.

Are you wondering whether you will be able to travel as you did a few years ago? One of the largest industries, tourism is in a profound crisis. This course understands tourism in relation to other kinds of mobility, like shopping, colonialism, trafficking, migration, and pilgrimage. As the negative environmental and health impacts of tourism have become obvious, significant demands have emerged on its practices and policies. Investigating the landscapes and economies of cars, planes, beaches, parks, malls, and museums, we come to appreciate the unique challenges tourism poses for global citizenship and the planet. To gain a critical geographical understanding of mobility we engage a range of ethical frameworks such as human rights, feminism, social justice, and utilitarianism. Our final destination is an informed and critical ethics of travel in the age of pandemics and climate change.