Table 3.5 — Recreation visitor days^ of use of federal recreation areas in ttie United States by 



managing agency and fee status, 1977 



Agency 



Total 



Fee 

 management units 



Nonfee 

 management units 





Thousands 



Percent 



Thousands 



Percent 



Thousands 



Percent 



Bureau of Land 

 Management^ 



60,225 



10.6 



39,915 



7.0 



20,310 



3.6 



Bureau of Reclamation 



33,607 



5.9 



146 



.0 



33,461 



5.9 



Corps of Engineers 



162,751 



28.8 



10,238 



2.0 



151,513 



26.8 



Fish and Wildlife 

 Service 



6,010 



1.1 



1,123 



.2 



4,887 



.9 



Forest Service 



204,797 



36.1 



25,646 



4.5 



179,151 



31.6 



National Park Service 



92,029 



16.3 



79,596 



14.1 



12,433 



2.2 



Tennessee Valley 

 Authority 



6,980 



1.2 



542 



.1 



6,438 



1.1 



Total 



566,399 



100.0 



158,206 



27.9 



408,193 



72.1 



'Recreation use which aggregates 12 person hours may entail 1 person for 12 

 hours, 12 persons for only 1 hour, or any equivalent combination of individual or 

 group use. 



'A Federal fee area provides certain specialized outdoor recreation facilities, 

 equipment, or services at Federal expense and then charges fees — entrance. 



District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 

 Islands. 



The fundamental purpose for which the National 

 Park System was established was stated in the Act of 

 1916 creating the National Park Service: ". . . to con- 

 serve the scenery and natural and historic objects and 

 wildlife therein; and to provide for the enjoyment of 

 the same in such manner and by such means as will 

 leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future 

 generations." The National Park Service has at- 

 tempted to adhere to this policy over the years, but 

 has experienced increasing difficulty as use pressure 

 has mounted. While fulfilling an important role in 

 providing outdoor recreation, their lands must serve 

 varied preservation, scientific, educational, and cul- 

 tural purposes. For instance, recreational facilities in 

 National Parks are designed to protect the unique 

 qualities of each area. Often, this means restricting 

 concentrations of people to developed areas such as 

 campgrounds and visitor centers, channeling visitors' 

 movements with hardened foot paths, and restricting 

 backcountry travel to well-marked areas. The recrea- 

 tional activities allowed are also limited. As an exam- 

 ple, hunting is forbidden in most National Parks. 



A second major class of Federal areas important 

 for outdoor recreation is "water" areas. The Bureau 

 of Reclamation, the Corps of Engineers, and the 

 Tennessee Valley Authority are all Federal agencies 

 which administer reservoirs, other impounded waters, 

 rivers, and the land surrounding them. While serving 

 such primary purposes as flood control, irrigation, 

 and hydroelectric power generation, the projects 

 administered by these agencies also provide signifi- 



user, and/or special permit — to cover costs. The Bureau of Land Management is 

 the only Federal agency wihich includes areas charging special permit fees under 

 this category. 



Source: U.S. Department of Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation 

 Service. Federal recreation fees-1977. (In process) 



cant water recreation opportunities. These include 

 swimming, boating, water skiing, picnicking, camp- 

 ing, fishing, and sightseeing. Together, these agencies 

 have constructed over 750 reservoirs with 7.7 million 

 surface acres of water and 69,000 miles of shoreline. 



A third distinctive type of Federal area includes all 

 units administered by the Forest Service and the 

 Bureau of Land Management. Together, these agen- 

 cies administer 93 percent of the forest and range land 

 in Federal ownership and provide significant dis- 

 persed recreational opportunities. For instance, dis- 

 persed recreation accounts for two-thirds of the par- 

 ticipation on the National Forests (table 3.6). 



Although the official policy of the Forest Service 

 and Bureau of Land Management has been to 

 encourage outdoor recreation, most of these lands are 

 managed to ensure the continuous provision of all 

 forest and range products, including timber, water, 

 grazing, and wildlife. Consequently, as with all other 

 resource opportunities, the recreational opportunities 

 offered to the public must be compatible with the 

 overall objectives established for each area. Also, the 

 type of recreational opportunities provided is often 

 influenced by management activities for other forest 

 uses or products. For instance, roads built principally 

 for timber harvest also provide opportunities for 

 dispersed camping with motorized vehicles and can 

 serve as cross-country ski and snowmobile trails 

 when snow-covered. 



Special designation of Federal lands also influences 

 the recreational opportunities they provide. One type 

 of specially designated Federal lands is the National 



77 



