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This study examined food insecurity in a predominately African American urban food desert via a mail survey designed to identify and describe the conditions, characteristics, and perceptions of residents in this food environment. The results support past research by showing that food insecurity occurs on a regular basis within many of the households but especially among lower income households, those on food-assistance programs, and those without access to a motor vehicle. The study also sheds light on the many barriers that perpetuate food insecurity and the challenges faced by Blacks and other minorities living in urban food-insecure environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the social bases of environmentalism in the United States has generally found that urban residents are more concerned about the environment than rural residents. Recent research suggests this may no longer be the case, particularly in specific settings or under certain conditions. This paper examines the issue by reviewing recent survey research on rural and urban environmentalism. Tests for significant differences between urban and rural inhabitants of the Southern Appalachian Ecoregion on cognitive and behavioral dimensions of environmentalism are also conducted using data obtained from 1,239 telephone interviews. Findings are consistent with previous research showing that younger people, those with higher levels of education, and political liberals generally express higher levels of environmentalism. However, no significant rural-urban differences were found on several indicators of environmentalism. A range of conditions that are rapidly changing the character and composition of the region may help to explain why the findings do not conform to the general pattern of rural-urban differences. Overall, it appears that environmentalism has broadened its appeal in rural areas, especially in communities located near national and state parks, wildlife refuges, and other outdoor recreation sites.

There has been a dearth of evidence in recent years by which to assess what motivation landowners have for owning woodland. Only recently, in the past 5 years, has there been a fresh attempt to answer this question. It has become increasingly important to understand landowner motivations for owning woodland with the substantial increase of nonindustrial private forestland (NIPF) landowners and the decreasing sizes of tracts of land. This report uses results of a 2005 survey on the Tennessee Northern Cumberland Plateau to assess what motivations landowners have for owning their woodland. Principal components analysis is used to assign motivation categories, and multinomial logistic regression is used to assess what characteristics classify landowners into their respective motivation categories. Results show that landowners can be classified into one of three motivation categories: privacy, utility, and heritage. This knowledge is beneficial to resource managers as they attempt to disseminate information to landowners on how to best achieve their objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visitation to the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has grown approximately 300% in the last 20 years and has doubled since 1990. Approximately 2 million people visited Cades Cove in 2000, with 57% of this use occurring in the peak months of June-August and October (U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 2003). The 11-mile one-way loop road through the Cove is operating in a near gridlock condition through much of this time. Covering the 11 miles through the cove can take up to 4 to 6 hours as visitors block traffic by stopping in the middle of the road to view flora and fauna and take pictures. The impact of this high level of visitation on the quality of visitor experience, park resources, and facility capacity is of significant concern to park officials. Other national parks faced with similar issues have opted for greater access restrictions in favor of quality improvements resulting from less traffic congestion. Acadia National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Zion National Park have all instituted various shuttle systems to alleviate traffic congestion common during certain parts of the year. However, based on public perception of how national parks are visited, the establishment of such shuttle systems could potentially result in greater impact on visitor experience than that resulting from the increase in traffic congestion. Although public sentiment to reduce traffic congestion in Cades Cove has been great, transportation management has been a key point of contention, especially the proposed mandatory shuttle alternative. Some have argued that the cost of the proposed shuttle system is too great and that access to the area by private vehicles should not be limited. Others counter that the value they receive from their visit is being compromised due to increased traffic congestion. This study attempts to model the acceptance of a proposed shuttle system by Tennessee residents to determine how many/who supports a mandatory shuttle system in Cades Cove and the value residents place on reduced traffic congestion by way of a shuttle system. A random digit dial telephone survey was conducted to garner opinions on the use of a mandatory shuttle system to alleviate traffic congestion in Cades Cove. In addition, a dichotomous choice contingent valuation question was also posed to survey respondents to determine the value of reduced traffic congestion in Cades Cove. Results indicate that support for a mandatory shuttle system may be higher than first thought and that the value of reduced traffic congestion is significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes that shifts in rural population and economic growth patterns may help explain rising levels of support for environmental values in many rural areas. Migration for environmental reasons; Comparison between migrants and non-migrants; Indicators of environmentalism.

We examine the effects of the population turnaround on unemployment rates in a nine-county region in northern lower Michigan. Data from census reports and a mailed questionnaire were used to test the following competing hypotheses about unemployment impacts: (1) labor-market infusion (or positive employment impacts), (2) labor-market overload (or negative impact on unemployment and increased competition for jobs), and (3) a mixed model in which the balance of positive and negative impacts differs depending on occupational status. Our major finding is that blue-collar persons (both newcomers and long-term residents) experienced much higher unemployment rates than white-collar persons. In other words, for white-collar strata, labor-market infusion is supported; for blue-collar strata, labor-market overload is supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]