Florida's climate is temperate in the northern part of the State to 

 subtropical or tropical in the south. Year-round temperatures are suitable 

 for outdoor recreation throughout the State (Figure 1). Florida has over 

 54,000 mi'^ of land area and 15,000 mi^ of territorial waters and estuaries. 

 Territorial waters make up 85% of the total and estuaries (bays, lagoons, and 

 marshes) make up the other 15%. 



Florida has a wealth of natural resources that support outdoor recrea- 

 tion. The State has 22 major natural springs that discharge over 3 billion 

 gallons per day (Bgal/d) to form lakes and rivers. The combined flow of all 

 springs in Florida is about 5 Bgal/d. Florida's 7,700 lakes comprise over 

 3,200 mi2 of water area, and it has about 1,700 rivers and streams that total 

 nearly 12,000 miles in length. 



Florida's coastline is about 11,000 miles long, much of which is compris- 

 ed of high energy beaches. Florida's barrier islands provide a wide range of 

 recreational opportunities including fishing, swimming, hunting, camping, and 

 nature study, located in areas such as parks, wildlife refuges, and national 

 seashores. Barrier islands have numerous motels, restaurants, gift shops, 

 amusement parks, marinas, golf courses, tennis courts, and swimming pools. 

 Florida has 13 registered historic places and 7 national natural landmarks 

 located on its barrier islands. 



Florida has 173 (more or less, depending on how they are classified) rec- 

 reation sites. This includes 30 preserves, forests, and State parks (Figure 

 2), 35 State aquatic preserves (Figure 3), 48 State wildlife management areas 

 (Figure 4), and 32 special feature sites, 17 preserves, 7 museums, and 4 orna- 

 mental gardens (Florida Department of Natural Resources 1981). 



The per capita expenditures of U.S. residents for hunting and fishing for 

 1955, 1960, and 1970 is shown in Table 1. These data will be used later in 

 this report to help estimate the magnitude and value of the fishing and hunt- 

 ing industries in Northwest Florida. 



The Governor's office (1980) has developed a set of goals and priorities 

 for 1981-83. Those relating to outdoor recreation are as follows: 



Goal : to improve outdoor recreation opportunities through 

 development and implementation of a new outdoor recreation 

 plan. 



Pol icies : (1) The State shall continue acquisition and 

 development of State parks with emphasis on high quality 

 resources and public accessibility. (2) The State shall 

 provide recreation programs, sites, and facilities that best 

 meet public demand. (3) The State shall expand recreational 

 opportunities to include user-oriented recreation, particu- 

 larly in and around urban areas to provide convenient and 

 energy conservative outdoor recreation. (4) The State shall 

 emphasize inter-agency coordination and cooperation in pro- 

 viding improved and diversified outdoor recreation opportun- 

 ities. 



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