Attitudes of riparian landowners toward state river conservation systems

Abstract

River recreation is dependent upon the limited resources of free-flowing streams and adjacent riparian property. State river conservation systems have lacked the funding necessary to acquire title to riparian property. The success of state river systems is dependent upon the cooperation of private riparian landowners and their intentions toward river conservation systems are of primary importance. The study objective was to test the effects of the attitudes of riparian landowners and their land use objectives on their behavioral intentions toward state river conservation systems. The theoretical basis for this research was derived from the attitude theory developed by Martin Fishbein. Based upon suggestions from past research, the variable of objective in land ownership was introduced. Attitudes and land use objectives were the independent variables and behavioral intentions toward the designation of rivers as parts of state river conservation systems was the dependent variable. Three hypotheses were developed and tested to examine the relationships between these variables. It was hypothesized that those riparian landowners with the most favorable attitudes toward state river conservation systems would have the most favorable behavioral intentions toward the designation of rivers as parts of state river conservation systems. The results supported this hypothesis. The second hypothesis was that those riparian landowners whose land use objectives were categorized under "preservation" would have the most favorable behavioral intentions toward the designation of rivers as parts of state river conservation systems. The results supported this hypothesis with some adjustments to the theorized categories of land use objectives. The third hypothesis was that those riparian landowners whose land use objectives were categorized under "preservation" would have the most favorable attitudes toward the designation of rivers as parts of state river conservation systems. The results supported this hypothesis. It was concluded that Fishbein's methodology could be applied to studies of landowners' attitudes toward state river conservation system. The variable of land use objectives was defined and its relationship to attitudes and behavioral intentions was examined. The results suggest the need for further studies of the relationship between land use objectives, attitudes and intentions toward river conservation systems.