Opportunities for Increasing the Supply 

 of Outdoor Recreation 



It is clear that efforts on the part of both the public 

 and private sectors will be necessary to ensure the 

 availability of a wide range of outdoor recreational 

 opportunities on forest and range lands and achieve 

 the benefits described above. Presently, over half of 

 the individuals in the Nation feel that outdoor recrea- 

 tion is a "very important" activity. "^ However, these 

 individuals have a wide variety of motivations, inter- 

 ests, and desires regarding their recreational pursuits. 



There are several major opportunities for realizing 

 the full recreational potential of the Nation's forest 

 and range lands. These opportunities include the 

 continued development of the recreation resource, 

 the improved use of the resource, more extensive and 

 effective cooperative activities to enhance the re- 

 souces on private lands and their use, and the 

 development of an improved information base for 

 managerial decision-making. 



Development of outdoor recreation resource — The 

 greatest opportunity for realizing the recreation 

 potential of lands already used for recreational pur- 

 poses is the further development of such facilities as 

 trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and boat ramps. 

 Facility development, when planned and accomp- 

 lished properly, can contribute to an increase in the 

 quantity, quality, and availability of outdoor recrea- 

 tion opportunities. With proper design and manage- 

 ment, these new developments can reduce conflicts 

 among recreationists, minimize damage to other 

 resources, and provide for user convenience and 

 safety. In particular, recreation management must 

 consider the special needs of the elderly and handi- 

 capped. As called of for in the Architectural Barriers 

 Act (P.L. 90-480 as amended), an appropriate 

 number of facilities must be made available to special 

 populations. 



Trails are an example of a development that can 

 serve a spectrum of uses. The design of a trail and the 

 extent of its maintenance can function to regulate the 

 kinds and intensity of use it receives. Trails that qual- 

 ify can be designated under the National Trails Sys- 

 tem Act. 



The designation of a trail is a way to promote pub- 

 lic knowledge of a trail's existence and availability 

 and to ensure that the trail meets certain construction 

 and management standards. New trails can be devel- 

 oped by taking advantage of abandoned railroad 

 grades, old canal banks, pipelines, utility line rights- 



■"U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage, Conservation, and 

 Recreation Service, op. cit. 



of-way, highway corridors, abandoned roads, and 

 undeveloped lands. 



Numerous other types of recreational develop- 

 ments could help meet the growing demands for a 

 broad range of recreational opportunities. For in- 

 stance, boat ramps and designated beaches could 

 provide for participation in water activities. In addi- 

 tion. National Forest and public lands could provide 

 camp areas for such groups as senior citizens and 

 clubs and also day camps to serve young underprivi- 

 leged urbanites. 



Innovative management actions focusing on facil- 

 ity development could include renovation of surplus 

 buildings to create a national system of hostels. Such 

 a system would enable people of all ages to enjoy the 

 outdoors through hiking, cycling, skiing, canoeing, 

 and other recreational activities. Moreover, winter 

 sports complexes could be redesigned to provide a 

 mix of recreational opportunities. For instance, a 

 variety of activities, including downhill and cross- 

 country skiing, skating and snowmobiling, might be 

 served by the same parking, sanitation, and lodging 

 facilities. These areas also could support other forms 

 of recreation during the nonskiing season. 



Opportunities to improve use of the resource — 

 Equally important to providing new recreational 

 developments is the provision for the proper main- 

 tenance of existing ones. Progressive site deteriora- 

 tion on public lands continues to be a problem, espe- 

 cially at heavily used camping and picnic areas. 

 Rehabilitation programs could aid in solving this 

 problem. 



Increasing recreation pressures on forest and range 

 lands could also be eased through efforts ensuring 

 that the recreation resource is used to its fullest 

 potential. Management actions are needed to pro- 

 mote use which is both more evenly distributed over 

 the available resource acreage and productive of the 

 most satisfying recreation experiences possible. 



Improving access to the Nation's forest and range 

 lands and waters is one such management action. 

 Lack of public access is often a major obstacle to 

 participation in dispersed and other types of recre- 

 ational activities. Florida seems to typify the situation 

 in many States. There are more than 12,000 miles of 

 streams throughout the State, and 21 canoeing routes 

 have been designated and publicized by the Depart- 

 ment of Natural Resources. Planners there feel that 

 limited public access currently is the main deterrent 

 to further site development. Expanded public access 

 is particularly needed in densely populated urban 

 areas where access often is tightly controlled. 



In many areas, expanded access through public 

 ownership of rights-of-way seems to be the best 



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