Participation and Perception: Early Exposure, Environmental Attitudes, and Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation in the Boise Metropolitan Area

Off-highway vehicle use has and is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation in the Boise Metropolitan region. However, it also has the potential to impact the flora and fauna present on public lands. As OHV use increases, so does the likelihood of impacts on the environments where recreation takes place. In order to effectively manage the resources provided by the landscape, more must be known about the user population. This study sought to determine which elements affect the continued use of OHVs and how OHV recreationists differed in their environmental attitudes by categorizing them into groups according to their experience use history (EUH). OHV recreationists were invited to participate in a survey through door-to-door solicitation within ten Treasure Valley communities and at the Ada and Canyon County DMVs. Distribution neighborhoods were randomly selected. In order to participate, individuals were required to be 18+ years of age and have operated an OHV at least once in their lives. A total of 335 surveys were distributed from May to September 2015, with 58 surveys returned. Comparing current and past users along with data on their initial exposure to OHV shows that neither early exposure nor demographic characteristics, such as sex or current age, was correlated with an individual’s current use status. Additionally, statistical analysis found the majority of users support environmental protection and management, but found no significant differences in environmental attitudes across EUH groups