Parks and People describes fifteen years of research at Maine’s Acadia National Park, conducted by Robert E. Manning, his colleagues, and students. The book is organized into three parts. Part I addresses indicators and standards of quality for park resources and the visitor experience. Part II describes efforts to monitor indicator variables. Part III outlines and assesses management actions designed to maintain standards of quality. The book concludes with a discussion of the implications of this program of natural and social science research, including a series of principles for outdoor recreation management at Acadia and other parks.

ROBERT E. MANNING is a professor at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, and director of its Park Studies Laboratory. He is the author or co-author of four books, including Parks and Carrying Capacity: Commons Without Tragedy and Studies in Outdoor Recreation: Search and Research for Satisfaction.