Chapter 3. — Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness 



This chapter presents information on: (1) Current 

 economic and social demands for outdoor recreation 

 and wilderness and projected participation trends to 

 2030; (2) the current supply of outdoor recreation and 

 wilderness opportunities; (3) a comparison of pro- 

 jected demands and supplies and the socioeconomic 

 implications of those comparisons; and (4) oppor- 

 tunities for increasing and enhancing the outdoor 

 recreational and wilderness experiences obtainable 

 on forest and range lands. 



For the purposes of this assessment, outdoor 

 recreation opportunities are defined as those natural 

 and cultural resources on forest and range lands that 

 are used by people during their leisure time to enjoy 

 or obtain a change of pace, a change of social environ- 

 ment, and other physical or psychic satisfactions. 

 These resources involve both the natural environ- 

 ments and manmade facilities, including the visual 

 features of an area that affect the esthetic quality of a 

 visitor's recreational experience. 



The demand and supply of outdoor recreation re- 

 sources are evaluated in terms of recreational 

 activities. 



These activities are grouped into three classes to 

 differentiate among important management oppor- 

 tunities and resource characteristics: 



Land activities — The large forest and range land 

 base provides opportunities for people to enjoy their 

 recreational pursuits in dispersed or relatively unde- 

 veloped settings. Many of the activities enjoyed on 

 these lands center around travel methods, including 

 hiking, horseback riding, automobile driving, and 

 off-road vehicle travel. While these activities are fre- 

 quently pursued for their own sakes, they also make 

 other recreation opportunities possible, including 

 both primitive and roadside camping, sightseeing, 

 fishing, hunting, and nature study. 



In addition, development of forest and range lands 

 has provided people with an expanded range of 

 recreation opportunities. On private lands, recrea- 

 tional home development enables an increasing 

 number of people to enjoy the scenic and recreational 

 values of forest and range lands. On public lands, 

 recreational use is often concentrated around travel 

 routes and special scenic or recreational features; fre- 

 quently service facilities are constructed in these areas 

 to enhance the comfort, convenience, and safety of 

 the visiting public. 



Water activities — Water is a prime attraction for 

 recreational activities. People use rivers, lakes, and 

 other wetlands for a wide variety of recreational 

 activities. Many are directly water-based such as 

 swimming, fishing, boating, and kayaking. Others, 

 such as camping, hiking, driving for pleasure, pic- 



nicking, and relaxing are often pursued with water as 

 an important backdrop. 



Snow and ice activities — The occurrence of snow 

 and ice on forest and range lands broadens the range 

 of recreational opportunities. They include such 

 activities as downhill skiing, snowmobiling, cross- 

 country skiing, and snow play. Forested areas, roads, 

 and cleared sites that may not be particularly 

 attractive for recreation during the summer often 

 assume added recreational value with the presence of 

 snow and ice. Logging roads covered with snow, for 

 instance, are highly suitable for both snowmobiles 

 and cross-country ski trails. 



Outdoor Recreation 



No national surveys have been conducted of out- 

 door recreation participation or expenditures specifi- 

 cally on the Nation's forest and range lands. 

 However, significant insights can be gained from the 

 1977 National Outdoor Recreation Survey conducted 

 by Heritage, Conservation and Recreation Service.' 

 The survey consisted of personal interviews with 

 members of 4,029 randomly selected households 

 distributed throughout the contiguous United States. 

 The survey focused on what people said they did, the 

 frequency of their participation, and other factors 

 influencing rheir outdoor recreation activity. 



Consistent with the findings from previous national 

 recreation surveys, the 1977 National Outdoor Rec- 

 reation Survey reported that the activities people said 

 they participated in most were picnicking, sight- 

 seeing, swimming, and driving for pleasure (table 

 3.1). For many of the activities, the majority of the 

 respondents said they participated more than four 

 times in 1977, while smaller percentages had just 

 begun to participate or indicated a desire to do so. A 

 few of these activities that had lower participation 

 rates tended to be the ones which people said they 

 were most interested in trying. These pursuits 

 included snow skiing, water skiing, and horseback 

 riding. 



In terms of regional participation, individuals from 

 the Pacific Coast, Rocky Mountain, and Great Plains 

 States were more likely to participate in outdoor 

 recreation activities. In particular, more westerners 

 participated in such activities as camping, backpack- 

 ing, and skiing than the residents of other regions of 

 the country. Individuals in the North were more fre- 

 quent participants than westerners in ice skating, 

 snowmobiling, and sledding, as well as swimming and 

 canoeing; southerners, on the other hand, partici- 

 pated as much or more than recreationists in western 



I U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage, Conservation and 

 Recreation Service. 1977 National Outdoor Recreation Survey. (In 

 process). 



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