Principle 8: Limiting Use is Only One of Many Management Options
One of the problems with the carrying capacity approach is its emphasis on controlling or limiting the number of visitors as a key to limiting impacts (Stankey and McCool1991 ). Because carrying capacity carries with it the question "how many is too many?", it tends to view imposition of use limits as an end in itself. A use limit policy is only one of a number of potential management actions that are available to address visitor impacts, yet is one of the most intrusive actions that managers could deploy. Use limit policies have historically carried with them a host of additional problems, such as choosing appropriate allocation and rationing techniques. These techniques have been among the most controversial actions protected area managers in the United States have ever taken (McCool and Ashor 1984).
Seems to be that every time somebody tries to make suggestions for "potential management actions that are available", others are quick to shoot them down, because they don't get it.
