Date of Award

Summer 8-16-2024

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Forest Resources

Advisor

Sandra De Urioste-Stone

Second Committee Member

Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran

Third Committee Member

Linda Silka

Abstract

Tick-borne diseases have been a rising threat to public health. Maine is experiencing a continued north and westward migration of Lyme disease into the state and increasing numbers of cases year after year (Rosenberg et al., 2018). Maine’s economy has a high reliance on the tourism industry, with a focus on outdoor recreation (Maine Office of Tourism, 2018), and the future success of this sector may be threatened by the risk that Lyme disease poses. One’s perception of risk is known to be influenced by the information available around them (Kasperson et al., 1988). Thus, it is pertinent that we broaden our knowledge of the information being presented in newsprint media in the state of Maine. The overall goal of this research is to expand our understanding of the risk perceptions that visitors to Acadia National Park hold regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases. Acadia National Park is a key tourism destination in the state of Maine with over 4 million visitors on average every year, making it the fifth most visited national park in 2022 (National Park Service, 2023). Besides people, black legged (deer) ticks are also present in the park and there is an increasing public health concern, with increasing Lyme disease cases in Maine. This study couples visitor perceptions of ticks and tick-borne disease, as well as resulting behavioral implications, with information provided in newsprint media. Visitation to Acadia National Park has the potential to be impacted by the behavioral intentions studied.

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