Related areas of economic development sometimes 

 have substantial impacts on local or State economies 

 by the sale of recreational properties and second 

 homes. The Office of Interstate Land Sales Regula- 

 tion has estimated the national annual sales of recrea- 

 tional property at roughly $5.5 billion.'*'' The growth 

 of this market is most dramatic in areas close to 

 recreational amenities which have caused land values 

 to climb sharply. Summit County, Colo., for in- 

 stance, has experienced skyrocketing land values 

 from $500 to $8,500 an acre and higher. When these 

 properties are in use, the spending of the seasonal 

 residents can further stimulate the local economy. It 

 is estimated that some 3.5 million second-home 

 households contribute $5.2 billion annually to rural 

 economies where these expenditures are especially 

 significant. 



Individual and social benefits of outdoor recrea- 

 tional participation are more difficult to measure, but 

 are equally important for the social well-being of the 

 American public. These benefits include the work- 

 time gained from avoiding such health problems as 

 heart attacks due to greater individual participation 

 in recreation; the lower incidence of crime, especially 

 among youths, because of the availability of outdoor 

 recreation sites, facilities, and programs; and the 

 saved costs to society in health care resulting from a 

 more physically fit population. "'^ 



One physical benefit of recreation participation is 

 the equilibrium ensured by the rest and relaxation it 

 provides. Research has indicated that escape from the 

 stresses of the home, neighborhood, and job is a 

 prime motivation for recreational participation."^ 

 Strenuous physical activities, such as swimming or 

 cross-country skiing, serve as relaxing outlets for the 

 tension or relief from the boredom often experienced 

 on the job. 



Participation in outdoor recreational activities can 

 also promote feelings of competency and self- 

 fulfillment and, in turn, psychological balance. These 

 benefits are enhanced by the significant educational 

 opportunities that outdoor activities offer. The 

 achievement of making discoveries, taking risks, and 

 meeting challenges in the outdoors improves the indi- 



■•'' American Society of Planning Officials with contributions 

 from the Conservation Foundation, Urban Land Institute, and 

 Richard L. Ragatz Associates, Inc. Subdividing rural America: 

 Impacts of recreation lot and second-home development. Prepared 

 for the Council of Environmental Quality, Department of Housing 

 and Urban Development, and the Appalachian Regional Commis- 

 sion. Gov. Printing Office, Washington, DC. 139 p. 1976. 



■"Newsweek. Keeping fit: America tries to shape up. 

 89(2I):7886. 



■"' For a review of such studies, see Driver, B. L., and R. C. 

 Knopf. Temporary escape, one product of sport fisheries manage- 

 ment. Fisheries 9(2):2 1. 24-29. 1976. 



People of all ages benefit from participating in outdoor recreation 

 activities. 



vidual's self-concept and self-reliance.'*'' Evidence that 

 these individual benefits are highly valued can be 

 found in the growing enrollments in such nationally 

 known outdoor experience schools as Outward 

 Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School 

 as well as in numerous other private and school- 

 sponsored courses. 



Similarly, social benefits are derived from the 

 social interaction which is often an integral part of 

 the outdoor recreational experience. The affiliation 

 experienced through recreational pursuits fosters per- 

 sonal development, while the family solidarity pro- 

 moted by shared recreational experiences is basic to 

 social stability.'*^ In a society of increasing transient 

 and short term relationships among people, outdoor 

 recreation can provide a common ground which facil- 

 itates meaningful interaction among individuals. 

 Outdoor recreation thus provides a means for old 

 friends to strengthen emotional ties while creating 

 opportunities for making new friends. 



"' Harris, D. V, Perceptions of self. Research Camping and 

 Environmental Education. HPER Series H, The University of 

 Pennsylvania, University Park, Pa. 1977. 



■•sYoesting, D. R., and D. L. Burkhead. Significance of child- 

 hood recreation experiences on adult leisure behavior: An explana- 

 tory analysis. Journal of Leisure Research 5(1):2536. 1976. 



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