• Manning, Robert
  University of Vermont
  

Outdoor recreation/tourism, like other important and growing uses of the Northern Forest, must ultimately be sustainable. This will require thoughtful management that is informed by a strong scientific foundation. Contemporary management and research approaches to sustainability in outdoor recreation/tourism (often called “carrying capacity” in this context) call for formulation of indicators and standards of quality for natural resources and the visitor experience. Indicators of quality are ecological and social variables that can be used to measure sustainability. Standards of quality define the minimum acceptable condition of indicator variables.