Figure 3.3 



Recreation Visitor-Days of Use Provided at Federal Areas 



Recreation Visitor Days (Millions) 

 225 



200 

 175 

 150 

 125 

 100 



75 



50 



25 - 

 



^^^ Fee Managennent Areas 

 ' I Non-Fee Management Areas 



iiliP 



m 



Bureau of Bureau of Corps of 

 Land Reclamation Engineers 

 Management 



Fish and 



Forest 



National 



Tennessee 



Wildlife 



Service 



Park 



Valley 



Service 





Service 



Authority 



supporting over 90 percent of the recreational use on 

 the Federal estate. Other Federal agencies supplying 

 significant recreational opportunities included the 

 Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 and Tennessee Valley Authority. 



The prevalent type of recreational experience pro- 

 vided differs markedly among the various Federal 

 agencies. Most recreational visits to National Park 

 and Corps of Engineers lands occur in areas with 

 well-developed facilities such as visitor centers, mari- 

 nas, campgrounds, and picnic areas. On lands admin- 

 istered by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 

 Management, a majority of the recreational use 

 occurs in dispersed areas where the most popular 

 activities pursued are primitive camping, summer and 

 winter recreation travel, hunting, and fishing. 



The types of experiences sought by recreationists 

 on Federal lands also appear to differ significantly 

 according to the results of an on-site survey which 

 was part of the 1977 National Outdoor Recreation 

 Survey. 2'' Interviews with 11,549 recreationists indi- 



^"U.S. Department of Interior, Heritage, Conservation and 

 Recreation Service. Federal estate outdoor recreation participa- 

 tion survey. (In process). 



cated that the main attraction of Corps of Engineers 

 areas was their "good" facilities, while scenic beauty 

 was most important to National Forest visitors. The 

 desire to see a new area was expressed as the most 

 frequent reason individuals visited National Parks. 

 This survey also showed that the Forest Service pro- 

 vided the greatest number of long term recreational 

 experiences on Federal lands. Over 50 percent of the 

 Forest Service visitors stayed more than 2 days dur- 

 ing their visits, while another 20 percent spent at least 

 7 days. 



Differences in recreational opportunities on Fed- 

 eral lands reflect the management directions of the 

 administering agencies and the resources available for 

 use. One major class of Federal areas is comprised of 

 those units administered by the National Park Ser- 

 vice, which oversees the best-known and most distinc- 

 tive recreation resources in the United States. In 

 1977, there were 34 National Parks containing some 

 of the most outstanding scenic areas in the world. In 

 addition, there are a large number of other units such 

 as battlefields, seashores, and historic sites. Overall, 

 the National Park Service administers nearly 300 

 areas covering some 31 million acres in 49 States, the 



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