He examines the human dimensions of natural resources, with an emphasis on outdoor recreation in an effort to understand the relationships that people have with nature, and to investigate the interactions of resource development and quality of life. Howie integrates social science into the planning and management of natural resources, and has worked regularly in interdisciplinary teams to provide theoretically based empirical research contributions to broader landscape-based projects examining sustainability issues. Howie teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and supervises graduate students in their research.