Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness: data from 1995 survey of commercial and private boat users of the Salmon River

These data represent a study of the dominant user groups on the Main and Middle Forks of the Salmon River on the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. Though these groups are using similar equipment and traveling on the same river at the same time, they differ in most aspects of their expectations for the trip, problems they encounter, and what they think managers should do to protect the resource. Additional questions included demographics (e.g., state of residence, income, education, profession) and group characteristics (e.g., size, type of equipment, level of experience). This survey was conducted in 1995, during the primary use season. Boat users were asked questions at the launch point, take out point, as well as on their first, third, and last night on the river. The sampling process resulted in 238 commercial clients and 301 private party members.
The intention of the study was to support an interdisciplinary planning team focused on commercial and private boat use of these rivers. An understanding of demographics, river use history, specialization, and perceptions of crowding, resource conditions, and policies were important for managers to know about their users during this planning process.