A comparison study of wilderness users and nonusers: implications for managers and policymakers.

This study assessed the wilderness opinions and preferences of a large general voting population. The study sample was separated into wilderness users and nonusers; five sets of study variables were analyzed and compared across these two subsamples. More than 3,000 respondents retumed the mailed questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 62.3 percent. Wtlderness was supported as an important use of public lands by over 80 percent of the total sample. Significant differences emerged between wilderness users and nonusers in their perceived purpose of wilderness, funding preferEnces, wilderness information sources, opinions on wilderness expansion, and gEneral demographic characteristics. While such differences between wilderness users and nonusers do exist, at the same time there is considerable agreement along population studied about the importance of wilderness and the purposes it serves.