1. How Many Visitors is Too Many at Arches?

2. Problem: trampling of fragile soils and vegetation (microbiotic soil crust); crowding Strategies: limit use; reduce the impact of use Practices: zoning; information/education; facility development/site design/maintenance; law enforcement; rationing/allocation Carrying capacity/Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) Two-fold mission of NPS Increasing use of national parks/Arches National Park Arches National Park Delicate Arch

3. How Many Visitors is Too Many at Arches? Ed Abbey Program of research ▫Indicator of quality: crowding ▫Standard of quality: maximum acceptable level of use (people at one time (PAOT)) Sizing of parking lots/parking regulations Permit systems for other areas Information/education: Web site; park newspaper; film; signs; Visitor Center; interpretive programs; Facebook and Twitter Signs and fencing along trails Monitoring

5. Arches National Park

15. 1. Formulate management objectives and associated indicators and standards of quality. 2. Monitor indicators of quality. 3. Implement management practices to maintain standards of quality.

30. Optimal or Preferred Condition -4 -3 -2 0 1 2 3 4 02468101214161820 Number of Groups Encountered Along A Trail Per Day Acceptability Range of Acceptable Conditions Norm Intensity or Salience Minimum Acceptable Condition Crystallization (Dispersion around points defining the norm curve)

31. Social Norm Curve for Delicate Arch