populations. Steps short of acquisition should be 

 used to the extent feasible but, when necessary to 

 control coastal use, land should be acqiured. 

 Innovative Hnancing arrangements should be pur- 

 sued in view of the need to move promptly. 



Recreation is a beneficial use of important 

 natural resources which, if properly planned and 

 managed, does not consume or degrade those 

 resources. Recreation interests compete with other 

 users, such as port developers and mineral ex- 

 plorers, and also there are conflicting demands 

 among the various forms of recreation. Fishermen, 

 swimmers, and power boaters are not always the 

 best of neighbors. Therefore, access to the shore 

 for recreation purposes needs to be supported by a 

 management system that can assist to accorruno- 

 date the interests of the various users. Such a 

 system needs to bring together the three levels of 

 government and private parties having an interest 

 in coastal areas in order to focus on their common 

 management problems. 



Recommendation : 



States establishing coastal zone authorities should 

 take steps to assure adequate representation of the 

 various recreation interests in the area. 



The rapid growth of recreation is creating 

 hazards in marine areas. Traditionally, there has 

 been little regulation of recreation, of either 

 equipment or operators. Even when there are laws 

 on the books the States often lack adequate 

 enforcement machinery. Legislation is pending 

 that would authorize the Coast Guard to certify 

 the safety of boats and equipment. 



Added to the problems of maintaining safety 

 standards for conventional recreation activities are 

 the dangers involved in activities under the surface 

 of the sea. Legislation is required to ensure the 

 safety of operations in civilian submersibles that 

 are used either for recreational or industrial 

 purposes. This should be a responsibility of the 

 Coast Guard. 



Recommendation : 



The Coast Guard should be provided the necessary 

 legislative authorization to support safety require- 

 ments for recreation in coastal areas. 



I. INTRODUCTION 



A. Scope and Importance 



Outdoor recreation increasingly is becoming a 

 massive rush to the water, as the President's 

 Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commis- 

 sion (ORRRC) found in its comprehensive report 

 issued in 1962. Nearly everyone wants to get in or 

 on the water. Marine recreation, including activi- 

 ties on the seashore and in the adjoining water, has 

 become big business and is certain to grow rapidly 

 in the future. Therefore, preservation and develop- 

 ment of seashore lands for recreational purposes 

 are matters of National interest and concern. 

 ' The practical problems of preserving coastal 

 lands and managing recreation activities along the 

 water appear staggering, especially in populous 

 areas. However, the studies of the New York and 

 San Francisco metropohtan areas have demonstra- 

 ted that practical solutions, short and long range, 

 are indeed within reach, given an adequate amount 

 of ingenuity and experimentation. What is missing 

 is money, authority, and pubUc understanding. 



In this report no attempt will be made to 

 compete with the monumental and definitive 

 ORRRC report in detailed proposals for practical 

 solutions. The purpose of this report is to present 

 a broad and relatively brief review of the general 

 nature and dimensions of the problem of marine 

 recreation and the general direction of solutions. 

 Attention will be directed chiefly to the coastal 

 zone, a relatively narrow strip of land and water 

 where the recreational resource base is centered. 

 However, additional resources such as underwater 

 wilderness areas that may be located 12 or more 

 miles offshore also offer recreational opportunities 

 and must be identified and preserved. 



If marine recreation, in all its forms and 

 ramifications, can be called an industry it pre- 

 sently ranks at least a close second to the offshore 

 oil and gas industry in economic importance. It 

 may, in fact, actually outrank oil and gas, but 

 statistics are inadequate to segregate recreational 

 expenditures in the marine environment from 

 those on land. 



It is sometimes asserted that recreation is not 

 subject to economic analysis and that its value is 

 purely social and personal. A corollary assertion is 

 that any recreation development is good and that 

 there is no need to measure economic values. 



Vn-236 



