actually have reflected a decrease in Federal com- 

 mitment given the broadened coverage of the more 

 recent compilations. At the same time, there was an 

 increasing emphasis being placed on the maintenance 

 and rehabilitation of existing facilities rather than 

 developing new ones. Appropriations for outdoor 

 recreation larger than those presently allocated are 

 needed if public recreational opportunities are to be 

 sufficiently expanded to meet the demand created by 

 increasing public participation. 



Supply and Demand Comparisons 



Because of the lack of data, it was not possible to 

 adequately prepare longrun projections of supplies 

 for the various outdoor recreational activities. How- 

 ever, the projected increases in demand (table 3.2) 

 indicate how much supplies might have to be 

 increased if demands are to be met. In addition, 

 regional demand increased in each region of the 

 country. The national and regional needs for in- 

 creases in supplies, as shown by the demand projec- 

 tions, are supplemented in the following discussion: 



Dispersed land activities — Recent increases in par- 

 ticipation of dispersed land activities have been sub- 

 stantial. In 1978, for example, over half of the recrea- 

 tional use of National Forest lands was for dispersed 

 land activities, amounting to over 108 million recrea- 

 tion visitor days of use. That figure represents an 

 increase of approximately 35 million recreation 

 visitor days over the last decade. 



Increased participation in dispersed land recreation 

 can be attributed to a number of factors. Over a 

 decade ago, the back-to-nature movement and mount- 

 ing interest in physical fitness and outdoor activity 

 together spawned the resurgence of hiking, backpack- 

 ing, mountain climbing, and similar activities. The 

 availability of recreational vehicles, both for camping 

 and off-road driving, has also added a completely 

 new dimension to dispersed land recreation. Camping 

 along roadsides has increased with the growing popu- 

 larity of recreation vehicles such as truck campers, 

 camping and travel trailers, and motor homes. And 

 the development of lightweight, dependable, and 

 high-performance off-road vehicles (motorcycles, all- 

 terrain vehicles, and four-wheel drive vehicles) and 

 the extension of forest roads has established motor- 

 ized travel as a popular activity on forest and range 

 lands. 



The very freedom and lack of development which 

 characterize dispersed land activities make any pre- 

 cise statement about the current supply situation for 

 these opportunities difficult. Nonetheless, it appears 

 that the potential supply of dispersed land oppor- 

 tunities — both nonmotorized and motorized — is 

 considerable. 



80 



Figure 3.4 



Comparison of Population, Forest 

 and Rangeland Area and Outdoor 

 Recreation Expenditures by 

 Geographic Area 



Population 



Rocky 



Mountains 



and 



Great 



Plains 



Forest and 

 Rangeland 

 Area 



Outdoor 

 Recreation 

 Expendi- 

 tures 



