Michael D. Ferguson, Assistant Professor, Recreation Management and Policy

Michael Ferguson

Associate Professor
Phone: (603) 862-1644
Office: Hewitt Hall, Room 193, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:
Curriculum Vitae
Michael D. Ferguson, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Recreation Management and Policy. His research focuses on visitor use management, recreation planning, and policy within parks and protected areas, with funding from federal and state agencies, including the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service, New Hampshire State Parks, and other public and private partners. His work has been widely published in top journals and media outlets, and he has received recognition for his applied scientific contributions and collaborations with land managers and policy leaders. Actively engaged in collaborative research and policy initiatives with land managers, elected officials, and the outdoor industry, he works to enhance the role of recreation in public health, land stewardship, economic development, and natural resource sustainability.
 
For additional information, please refer to The Applied Recreation Research Collaborative (ARRC) lab's website.

Courses Taught

  • OUT 515: Hist of Outdoor Pursuits in NA
  • RMP 515: Hist Outdoor Pursuits North Am
  • RMP 559: Mktg Recreation
  • RMP 670: Venue Mgmt Design & Operations
  • RMP 711/811: Recreation Resource Management
  • RMP 775/875: Commercial Recreation
  • RMP 806: Rec Admin & Organization Behav
  • RMP 970: Teaching Practicum
  • RMP 980: Independent Study
  • RMP 992: Research Methods in RMP

Education

  • Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
  • M.S., West Virginia University
  • B.S., West Virginia University

Research Interests

  • Social/Behavioral Science Planning/Policy
  • Parks & Recreation Management
  • Natural Resources Management
  • Recreation and Leisure Studies
  • Tourism
  • Social & Economic Environment

Selected Publications

  • Smith, M., Ferguson, M. D., Ferguson, L. A., Burakowski, E., Contosta, A., Rogers, S., . . . Gorman, M. (2026). Outdoor recreation in a changing climate: Visitors’ impacts, coping strategies, and intent to return to Parks and Protected Areas in New Hampshire, USA. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 54, 101052. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2026.101052

  • Smith, M., Ferguson, M. D., Ferguson, L. A., Burakowski, E., Contosta, A., Rogers, S., . . . Gorman, M. B. (2025). When Climate Meets Crowds: Land Managers and Outdoor Recreation Providers’ Responses to Climate and Social Change in Parks and Protected Areas. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. doi:10.18666/jpra-2025-13161

  • Ferguson, M. D., Robinson, T., Ferguson, L. A., Evensen, D., Schwartz, F., Gonyo, S., & Freitag, A. (2024). Cultivating commitment: how cultural ecosystem services affect visitor loyalty attitudes and intention-to-return in parks and protected areas. Ecosystems and People, 20(1). doi:10.1080/26395916.2023.2297560

  • Ferguson, L. A., Ferguson, M. D., Rodrigues, K., Evensen, D., Caraynoff, A. R., Persson, K., . . . Eisenhaure, S. (2024). The role of health and wellbeing in shaping local park experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 46, 100739. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2024.100739

  • Smith, M., Ferguson, M., Ferguson, L., Contosta, A., Burakowski, E., Levine, D., & Rogers, S. (2024). From a Shorter Winter Season to More Storm Damage: New Hampshire Outdoor Recreation Providers Feel Climate Impacts Far More than Visitors. https://scholars.unh.edu/carsey/484/: Carsey School of Public Polic. Retrieved from https://scholars.unh.edu/carsey/484/

  • Ferguson, M. D., Lynch, M. L., Evensen, D., Ferguson, L. A., Barcelona, R., Giles, G., & Leberman, M. (2023). The nature of the pandemic: Exploring the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic upon recreation visitor behaviors and experiences in parks and protected areas.. J Outdoor Recreat Tour, 41, 100498. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2022.100498

  • Ferguson, M. D., Perry, E. E., Lynch, M., Ferguson, L. A., Kiewra, L. A., Leberman, M., . . . Manning, R. E. (2022). Expanding the viewshed: Insights and implications for examining visitor use management across scales and modalities in an Iconic National Forest. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 40, 100570. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2022.100570

  • Ferguson, M. D., McIntosh, K., English, D. B. K., Ferguson, L. A., Barcelona, R., Giles, G., . . . Leberman, M. (2022). The Outdoor Renaissance: Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Outdoor Recreation Visitation, Behaviors, and Decision-Making in New England's National Forests. SOCIETY & NATURAL RESOURCES, 35(10), 1063-1082. doi:10.1080/08941920.2022.2055247

  • Ferguson, M. D., Caraynoff, A. R., Ferguson, L. A., Barcelona, R. J., Evensen, D., Knox, H., . . . Grosz, D. (2022). Whether They Return: Modeling Outdoor Recreation Behaviors, Decision Making, and Intention-to-Return in Congressionally Designated Wilderness. FORESTS, 13(7). doi:10.3390/f13071018

  • Ferguson, M. D., Giles, G., Ferguson, L. A., Barcelona, R., Evensen, D., Barrows, C., & Leberman, M. (2022). Seeing the forest for the trees: A social-ecological systems approach to managing outdoor recreation visitation in parks and protected areas. JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM-RESEARCH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, 38. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2021.100473

  • Ferguson, M. D., Evensen, D., Ferguson, L. A., Bidwell, D., Firestone, J., Dooley, T. L., & Mitchell, C. R. (2021). Uncharted waters: Exploring coastal recreation impacts, coping behaviors, and attitudes towards offshore wind energy development in the United States. ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE, 75. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2021.102029

  • Ferguson, M. D., Lynch, M. L., Miller, Z. D., Ferguson, L. A., & Newman, P. (2020). What do outdoor recreationists think of fracking? Politics, ideology, and perceptions of shale gas energy development in Pennsylvania State Forests. ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE, 62. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2019.101384

  • Miller, Z. D., Ferguson, L. A., Newman, P., Ferguson, M., Tipton, N., Sparrow, V., & Taff, B. D. (2020). Developing visitor thresholds of sound from shale natural gas compressors for motorized and non-motorized recreation users in Pennsylvania State Forests. APPLIED ACOUSTICS, 157. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2019.107012

  • Ferguson, M. D., Lynch, M. L., Powers, S. L., Barrett, A. B., Evensen, D., Graefe, A. R., & Mowen, A. J. (2019). The Impacts of Shale Natural Gas Energy Development on Outdoor Recreation: A Statewide Assessment of Pennsylvanians. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 27(1), 1-10. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2019.100230

  • Ferguson, M. D., Powers, S. L., Trauntvein, N., Jacquet, J. B., Graefe, A. R., & Mowen, A. J. (2019). Winds of change - Predicting water-based recreationists' support and opposition for offshore wind energy development in the Great Lakes. JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH, 45(1), 187-195. doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2018.10.006

  • Ferguson, M. D., Mueller, J. T., Graefe, A. R., & Mowen, A. J. (2018). Coping with Climate Change: A Study of Great Lakes Water-Based Recreationists. JOURNAL OF PARK AND RECREATION ADMINISTRATION, 36(2), 52-74. doi:10.18666/JPRA-2018-V36-I2-8296

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