The location of human geographical boundaries currently pro provides on of the bases in several u.s. forest service regions, for instance, for resolving social/cultural issues and problems related to the development of rural areas. This project will attempt to determine a more efficient yet reliable method for describing human geographical boundaries using quantitative methods. Human geographical boundaries have been shown to be an effective planning tool, particularly in regard to rural areas, because they assist in more sensitive project siting, reveal important differences in cultural values and lifestyles and indicate boundaries of project impacts. The present system for describing human social values is qualitative in nature, expensive and time-consuming. The new method to accomplish the same purpose will be cheaper and quicker.
