Who Has the Right-of-Way?: Negotiating Environmental and Economic Impacts of Off-Highway Vehicle Use in Eastern Kentucky

Abstract

Outdoor recreation entails a careful balance between environmental impact and economic impact, particularly in rural Appalachian transitional economies. Outdoor recreation annually brings millions of dollars into rural areas in Central Appalachia by utilizing the natural features of the region for recreation. However, uneven development has fomented long-standing environmental injustices as extraction industries utilize unparalleled control over the natural environment and its use. In this article, the researchers examine Kentucky off-highway vehicle (OHV) use patterns as they pertain to the environment alongside their generalized household economic expenditures per trip. Off-highway vehicle users represent a legitimate claim to public land use, and thus findings of this article reinforce the need for caution in balancing the economic impacts and environmental costs of outdoor recreation, including OHV use.