FORT COLLINS, CO--Experts from across the country will gather in Snowmass, Colo., Nov. 29-Dec. 2 at a conference sponsored by Colorado State University to examine the question of whether we are loving our public lands and waters to death.

The program will feature high-ranking government officials; park and public land professionals from across America; academic experts on recreation and tourism; wildlife and ecology specialists; and representatives of environmental and outdoor recreation groups to dissect the difficult question of when capacity has been reached and what to do about it.

"No one wants to deny U.S. citizens or increasing numbers of international visitors who use this country's magnificent natural resources access to the outdoors, nor limit their activities in some way," said Glenn Haas, Colorado State professor of natural resource recreation and tourism and co-chair of the conference. "The problem is that, intuitively, we see that day coming due to sheer population pressures and the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation."

Michael Manfredo, professor and head of the department and Colorado State's other co-chair, said, "From a professional perspective, how we deal with the issue of human capacity may be the single greatest challenge to recreational use of outdoor lands and waters in the coming century. We've assembled a rich variety of experts and advocates to help formulate solutions to providing quality, sustainable experiences in the American outdoors."

The three-day "Conference on Recreation and Resource Capacity" will open with a day of plenary sessions and continue with two days of panels on the perspectives of wildlife, park superintendents, hunters, off-road vehicle drivers, boaters, fishermen, outdoors educators, ecotourists and land managers.

There is a lot of work to do, according to Haas and Manfredo. Larger issues that panels and speakers will grapple with include
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Contact: David Weymiller
dweymiller@ur.colostate.edu
970-491-6851
Colorado State University
30-Sep-1999