Fire, Aesthetics, and Recreation

The type of recreation in which people want to engage will influence their attitudes about fire and its aesthetic impacts.

One of the primary reasons why people visit public lands is to experience aesthetic pleasure (Steinitz 1990), to “sight-see” or to enjoy outstanding views.  It is common for both tourists and locals to judge the visual quality of a landscape from key roadside vistas.  Aesthetics draws tourists to places that look and feel “natural” and can thus have an indirect impact on local economies.  Obstructed views or landscapes that appear to be damaged (e.g., by fire, hurricanes, clear-cutting) will deter tourists and could harm local economies. 

Beyond aesthetics, prescribed fire affects recreationists in diverse ways.  Hunters are able to walk through the forest because of reduced brush and position for a better shot at their game because of clearer views into the forest.  Prescribed fire has been shown to benefit some wildlife. 

Hikers enjoy a mosaic of forest conditions and wildlife diversity along trails.  Prescribed burning can be used to create the mosaics that hikers prefer (Ribe 1989). 

Campers and picnickers are the least likely recreation group to approve of prescribed burning (Taylor and Daniel 1984), even under light burn conditions. Although burning may eventually improve stand conditions in these areas, mechanical removal of brush in camping and picknicking areas can create the same effects as burning (Taylor and Daniel 1984).