Public Responses to National Park Environmental Policy

The behavioral responses of urban and semirural residents to a newly initiated national park environmental policy are investigated. The policy broadly involves the reduction of service facilities within the park and a concomitant emphasis on the park's natural environment. It is disclosed that (1) awareness of the park policy and (2) overt patronage of the park are related to relative proximity to the park. Urban and semirural residents generally hold similar attitudes toward the park environment, both groups stressing the preservation of natural resources within the park. However, some semirural nonvisitors to the park emphasize the need for the provision of service facilities.