Abstract

The aim of this article is to explain why research focusing on crime and violence on national forests is necessary and overdue. Four questions are offered to frame future research. First, how much crime is occurring on national forests, and how can the effects of crime and violence best be measured? Second, how is crime spatially distributed across national forests? Third, what actions are effective in mitigating crime in a recreation setting and what should we adopt for a successful crime-stopping arsenal? Finally, how do crime and violence affect recreation behavior and decisionmaking?