OCR Text |
Show Recreation Studies Further studies should be undertaken to determine and implement Federal and state land use goals and policies. Identification of land and water available and suitable for recreation purposes should be a part of such studies. In addition, the recreation land classification system should be reevaluated and improved to provide a more efficient technique for identifying recreation resources. Land use planning should take into consideration the need to preserve unique natural and cultural features before such resources are lost to other uses. New techniques for measuring recreation use and recreation user preference should be researched. These new techniques should be readily available to all recreation planners and management agencies and should, encourage uniformity among all agencies in amassing statistical data. Detailed recreation studies for the Gila Subregion should be under- taken. These studies should lead to delineating agency roles in provid- ing recreation opportunity, specific facility development plans, and providing alternative opportunity options where recreation opportunity is precluded by constraints. Studies are needed to determine the most feasible method for banking and disseminating recreation data. Fish and Wildlife Studies Studies are needed to determine habitat requirements of game and nongame species of fish and wildlife, and to determine how man's activi- ties and land management practices affect the habitat requirements of wildlife, including game and nongame species and rare and endangered species. There is need for information on ways of establishing palat- able browse and other vegetation to increase wildlife populations. Ecological characteristics such as water temperature, toxin content, turbidity, pool ripple relationships, stream bottom characteristics, streamside vegetation, and biological characteristics need to be studied. Existing habitat improvement methods and the development of new methods such as aquatic weed control, water impoundments with artificial stream construction, and phreatophyte management studies are needed to provide for increasing fishing demands. Environmental Research A more comprehensive evaluation of the effects of regional water planning and management programs in terms of productive utilization of labor and capital is needed. Though economic efficiency is an important guide to the implementation of a water resources development program, 127 |