Foresters' Perception of Wilderness–User Attitudes and Preferences

Foresters who managed wilderness were similar to wilderness users in the pureness of their perspective of wilderness, and correctly perceived users' reactions to two-thirds of several suggested wilderness-management policies and behavior norms. But these wilderness managers viewed users as less responsive to suggested behavior control measures than they actually were, overestimated user support for development, overestimated the prevalence of purist philosophies regarding resource-management practices and some behavior norms, and generally viewed users as clearly opinionated about specific issues, not anticipating the large proportion who were neutral. These misperceptions of user attitudes suggest limited exposure to typical users and bias from excessive contact with organized conservationists and comfort-seeking users commanding attention as well as selective perception based on differences between managers and users.