About Us

CRC conducts studies or assists with planning efforts related to natural resource use and management, often with a focus on recreation in river settings. The firm’s researchers, Bo Shelby and Doug Whittaker, have been involved in more than a hundred recreation studies or planning efforts for federal, state, local, non-profit, or private organizations across the country. They have also been contracted as expert witnesses in judicial procedures (hearings and trials) and to develop or lead training sessions for several federal agencies (e.g., FERC, Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Carhart National Wilderness Training Center) on recreation planning and management.

CRC has particular expertise with visitor impact management and carrying capacity in recreation settings, instream flows for recreation, navigability determinations, and human dimensions of wildlife management. In conducting projects, they have developed and applied “state-of-art” concepts and planning frameworks; developed or improved methodological approaches; and helped apply or integrate findings to help make appropriate management decisions.

Skills or tasks involved in these efforts included developing study plans; organizing field reconnaissance; developing survey instruments and associated databases and coding schemes; statistical analyses of social and hydrological data; concise tabular and graphic presentations of findings; report writing; presentations that integrate findings and photos; meeting facilitation; and leading discussions in contentious decision processes.