Search Results (5)

The Temblor Mountain Special Recreation Area (SRMA) on the western flank of the San Joaquin Valley, CA, is located in the endemic area of Coccidioides, a fungal pathogen responsible for the increasing incidence of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever). Recreationists in the SRMA, such as off-highway vehicle (OHV) drivers and mountain bikers who disturb the soils, are at risk of being exposed to airborne arthroconidia (asexual spores) of the pathogen. To reduce the risk of pathogen exposure for visitors, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to limit recreational activities to areas with a reduced pathogen presence. They envision an official OHV park in the future, by also restricting access to areas with ongoing restoration efforts and by limiting soil erosion in sensitive areas. To investigate which soils in the Temblor SRMA are most likely to support the growth of Coccidioides spp., soil samples were collected over a 3-year period from dominant soil types in a northern and a southern sampling area and analyzed for the pathogen using a culture-independent PCR-based method. In addition, soil pH and electrical conductivity were determined. The results of this study revealed slight genetic variance in the Coccidioides sequences obtained from the soils of the Temblor SRMA. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) could not confirm differences in soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) between the different soil types investigated and between sites where the pathogen was detected compared to sites where it could not be found. However, the year of sampling appeared to have an influence on observed soil pH and EC, and the presence of the pathogen. Of all dominant soil types investigated, those belonging to the Littlesignal–Cochora association were the least likely to contain the pathogen, whereas soils of the Beam–Panoza–Hillbrick association appeared more supportive. In addition to pointing out OHV areas with lower pathogen exposure risk in the Temblor SRMA, recommendations were made to educate visitors and BLM workers about the risk of contracting Valley fever. Full article

At a time when many public park and recreational programs are required by local governments to be financially self-sustaining, it is critical for planners to design a new development with the end-user in mind. Feasibility studies often either do not examine user preferences or use Likert-type surveys to investigate features in isolation without evaluating trade-offs from financial and finite space limitations. This study used stated preference choice method (SPCM) to inform the initial design of an off-road vehicle (ORV) park. The park was developed near Detroit, Michigan, a metropolitan area with many registered ORVs, but few places to legally use them. The SPCM examined trade-offs among desired features and helped planners ensure publicly funded investments resulted in a successful park. Researchers mailed a survey with choice sets to 3935 registered ORV users and 2083 completed surveys were retuned (53%). Additional survey items also allowed researchers to create preference models for specific segments of users (i.e., serious ORV enthusiasts/casual users; residents/visitors; or users of different ORV types). The findings informed the design of the park by revealing preferences for segments, allowing planners to design the park for specific markets. The park’s initial success suggests a study in the design stage of development offers utility, though park managers have noticed unanticipated user segments that influence preferences for park features. The findings based on segments also suggest planners should be cautious when designing to an average user. Implications of this study are helpful to planners of any capital-intensive land-use project, especially in the public sector. Full article

Over 100,000 all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries are evaluated in U.S. emergency departments each year. In this study, we analyzed the time intervals for emergency medical services (EMS) providers responding to ATV crashes in different location types. Data from the Iowa State Trauma Registry and a statewide ATV crash/injury database was matched with Iowa EMS Registry records from 2004–2014. Ground ambulance responses to 270 ATV crashes were identified, and response characteristics and time intervals were analyzed. Off-road crashes had a longer median patient access interval (p < 0.001) and total on scene interval (p = 0.002) than roadway crashes. Crashes in remote locations had a longer median patient access interval (p < 0.001) and total on scene interval (p < 0.001), but also a longer median on scene with patient interval (p = 0.004) than crashes in accessible locations. Fifteen percent of remote patient access times were >6 min as compared to 3% of accessible crashes (p = 0.0004). There were no differences in en route to scene or en route to hospital time. Comparisons by location type showed no differences in injury severity score or number of total procedures performed. We concluded that responding EMS providers had an increased length of time to get to the patient after arriving on scene for off-road and remote ATV crashes relative to roadway and accessible location crashes, respectively. Full article

Recreational fishing in freshwater ecosystems is a popular pastime in Australia. Although most native fish are endemic, the fauna is depauperate compared to any landmass of similar size. With commercial fishing no longer a major industry in the country’s freshwaters, the future sustainability of these ecosystems will depend heavily on the actions of recreational fishers. However, there has been limited focus on the consequences of recreational fishing in freshwaters. There is particularly a dearth of information on the indirect consequences of fishers on the waterbodies they depend on for their sport. After outlining the respective trends in commercial and recreational fishing in Australia as a basis for placing the sport in context, the indirect impacts of fishers on water quality, movement (walking, off-road vehicles), the introduction/translocation of fauna (particularly fish), the dispersal of flora and the transmission of fish disease and pathogens are reviewed. It is concluded that with the decline of commercial fishing, the competition between commercial fin-fishing and recreational fishing is negligible, at least throughout most of the country. It is also concluded that each of the issues addressed has the potential to be detrimental to the long-term sustainability of the freshwater ecosystems that the fishers depend on for their recreation. However, information on these issues is scant. This is despite the current and predicted popularity of freshwater recreational fishing continuing to increase in Australia. Indeed, there has been insufficient quantitative assessment of the impacts to even determine what is required to ensure a comprehensive, adequate and representative protection of these freshwater ecosystems. To underpin the sustainability of inland recreational fishing in the country, it was concluded that research is required to underpin the development and implementation of appropriate policies. The alternative is that the integrity and biodiversity loss of these ecosystems will ultimately result in their collapse before the indirect consequences of recreational fishing have been directly assessed and appropriately protected. However, the lack of protection of wetlands is not restricted to Australia; there is a deficit of freshwater protected areas worldwide. Full article

Side-by-side (SxS) vehicles have become increasingly popular, but there are few reports on injury epidemiology. Newspaper reports of SxS and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes were analyzed for nine U.S. states from 2009 to 2011, including comparisons between the two vehicle types. Seventy-nine SxS crashes involving 104 injured victims were identified; three-fourths were males. There was a relatively high percentage of injured passengers (37%), and a higher proportion of female victims were passengers as compared to males (p = 0.015). Children <16 years of age were 44% of those injured and had the highest proportion of both passenger and operator victims as compared to other age groups. Over half of the crashes occurred on roadways; nearly two-fifths occurred at night. As compared to adults, a lower percentage of crashes involving youth were at night (p = 0.0037) but the percentages on roadways were similar. Only one in five roadway SxS crashes involved a collision with a motorized vehicle. Rollovers were the most common mechanism (50%). Two-thirds of victims were ejected, and one-half were struck or pinned by the vehicle. Twenty-eight deaths (27%) were reported. Although most current SxSs have roll bars, lack of safety belt use has likely reduced their benefit. Children should be prohibited from operating SxSs. Full article