Public Knowledge of Public Knowledge of the North Carolina Coastal Reservethe North Carolina Coastal Reserve

Bob Buerger, Jeffery Hill, James Herstine, and Anthony Bob Buerger, Jeffery Hill, James Herstine, and Anthony SniderSnider

University of North Carolina WilmingtonUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington

Purposes/Mission of the Purposes/Mission of the North Carolina Coastal North Carolina Coastal

ReserveReserve• EducationEducation

• ResearchResearch

• Resource protectionResource protection

• Informed managementInformed management

• Traditional usesTraditional uses

North Carolina Coastal North Carolina Coastal ReservesReserves

• Coastal Reserve Program comprised of 10 Coastal Reserve Program comprised of 10 sitessites

• Four have National Estuarine Research Four have National Estuarine Research Reserve designationsReserve designations– Total of 27 NERR sites nationwideTotal of 27 NERR sites nationwide

• Undeveloped coastal and estuarine sitesUndeveloped coastal and estuarine sites• Access varies: foot, automobile or boatAccess varies: foot, automobile or boat

Rationale for StudyRationale for Study

• To more fully understand the To more fully understand the character of visitor use on the North character of visitor use on the North Carolina Coastal ReserveCarolina Coastal Reserve

MethodologyMethodology

• Face-to-face on-site interviews Face-to-face on-site interviews conducted by reserve staff conducted by reserve staff

• May-October, 2007May-October, 2007• Four coastal reserves: Four coastal reserves:

– Rachel Carson NERRRachel Carson NERR– Currituck Banks NERRCurrituck Banks NERR– Masonboro Island NERRMasonboro Island NERR– Bird Island Coastal Reserve Bird Island Coastal Reserve

Survey InstrumentSurvey Instrument

• Site managers participated in survey Site managers participated in survey developmentdevelopment

• Pre-test April-May, 2007Pre-test April-May, 2007• Thirty-one questionsThirty-one questions• Closed- and open-ended questionsClosed- and open-ended questions• Quantitative and qualitative dataQuantitative and qualitative data• 521 usable surveys resulted521 usable surveys resulted

Results: Visitor Results: Visitor DemographicsDemographics

• Highly educatedHighly educated

• WealthyWealthy

• OlderOlder

• Racially homogenousRacially homogenous

General Results: General Results: Site FidelitySite Fidelity

• Site fidelity appears to be very Site fidelity appears to be very high: 1) Almost twice as many high: 1) Almost twice as many users are repeat visitors; 2) most users are repeat visitors; 2) most users primarily returned to the users primarily returned to the Reserve at which they were Reserve at which they were surveyedsurveyed

General Results: General Results: Site ConditionsSite Conditions

• Users are satisfied with current Users are satisfied with current reserve conditions: 1) The majority of reserve conditions: 1) The majority of users believe the environmental users believe the environmental conditions at the reserve site at conditions at the reserve site at which they were surveyed have which they were surveyed have remained the same over time; 2) remained the same over time; 2) recreational use is not negatively recreational use is not negatively changing the character of the sitechanging the character of the site

General Results: General Results: Management SatisfactionManagement Satisfaction

• Users are satisfied with current Users are satisfied with current management: 1) The majority of management: 1) The majority of users believe the site at which they users believe the site at which they were interviewed is properly were interviewed is properly managed; 2) the majority of users do managed; 2) the majority of users do not currently believe that there not currently believe that there should be increased enforcement of should be increased enforcement of current regulationscurrent regulations

General Results:General Results:OwnershipOwnership

• Users are familiar with ownership: Users are familiar with ownership: Just over half of all users were aware Just over half of all users were aware that the state owns the Reserve site that the state owns the Reserve site of interviewof interview

General Results:General Results:ManagementManagement

• Users are unfamiliar with Users are unfamiliar with management: Very few respondents management: Very few respondents could identify the specific state could identify the specific state agency that manages the Reserve agency that manages the Reserve site of interviewsite of interview

General Results:General Results:MissionMission

• Users are unfamiliar with mission: Users are unfamiliar with mission: Very few respondents knew the Very few respondents knew the mission of the NCNERR/NCCR mission of the NCNERR/NCCR program.program.

ConclusionConclusion

• While the public may be satisfied While the public may be satisfied with the present condition of the with the present condition of the Reserves, they are not aware of the Reserves, they are not aware of the mission or management of the mission or management of the Reserve systemReserve system

Management ImplicationsManagement Implications

• As the number of visitors using the As the number of visitors using the Reserves increases, use impacts may Reserves increases, use impacts may increase as wellincrease as well

• A public education and awareness A public education and awareness program should be developed that program should be developed that focuses on users becoming focuses on users becoming knowledgeable stewards of the knowledgeable stewards of the Coastal Reserve SystemCoastal Reserve System