Chapter IV 



MARINE RECREATION 



Outdoor recreation has become a major part of the American way 

 of life. The increase in leisure time, mobility, and affluence among 

 our population during the past 30 years has opened ever-growing 

 opportunities for people to use the Nation's outdoor resources. As a 

 consequence, outdoor recreation management has become in- 

 creasingly more complex. 



In addition to the increased demand for outdoor recreation, 

 substantial changes have occurred in people's habits. With more 

 leisure, people have greater opportunity to participate in new 

 activities. Technical advances in recreational equipment and 

 clothing have also placed an additional burden upon our resources 

 by increasing recreational skills. Coastal areas historically have had 

 great attraction as places for living and working. They now are 

 taking much of the brunt of the increased demand for recreation. 



The four coasts of the United States — Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific, and 

 Great Lakes — offer almost limitless opportunities for recreational 

 use of water. The United States, excluding Alaska, has 36,900 miles 

 of coastline, of which 23 percent is in public ownership (Federal: 11 

 percent; State: 12 percent). Expressed another way, 59 percent of our 

 coastline is undeveloped, 16 percent is used for nonrecreational 

 purposes, and 25 percent is used for recreation. (Nine percent is 

 public, and 16 percent is private.) 



Planning 



As a result of the extensive changes that have taken place in 

 outdoor recreation, it was inevitable that more consideration would 

 be given to the development and management of new outdoor 

 recreation areas and facilities. Public Law (P.L.) 88-29 directs the 

 Secretary of the Interior to formulate and maintain a comprehensive 

 nationwide outdoor recreation plan. The Bureau of Outdoor 



53 



