Do Additional Designations of Wilderness Result in Increases in Recreation Use?

Designation of public lands as wilderness continues to be a contentious issue. With about 45 million acres designated as wilderness in the lower 48 states, the question of whether designation of additional wilderness would result in increased recreation use has been raised. We address this issue using a fixed-effects regression model for wilderness use at national forests and national parks throughout the United States. We find the acreage variable is statistically significant in predicting visitor use at both agencies land. It appears that additional designations of wilderness will provide recreation benefits.