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Outdoor Recreation for America 
By Harold Graham 
A 15-MAN COMMISSION established by Congress set out in 1958 to de- 
termine the outdoor recreation needs of Americans now and up to the year 
2000, to determine the resources of the nation available to satisfy those 
needs, and to recommend policies to ensure that these needs would be 
met adequately and efficiently. Their report was published in 1961 bear- 
ing the above title. 
Driving and walking for pleasure lead the list of outdoor recreation 
activities in which Americans participate, regardless of income, education, 
age, or occupation. Playing games and swimming come next, with sightsee- 
ing, bicycling, fishing, going to outdoor sports events, and picnicking fol- 
lowing in order. Sports requiring special conditions or equipment rank 
much lower in frequency; these include skiing, mountain climbing, skin- 
diving, and sailing. However, more and more Americans are aspiring for 
activities just beyond their reach, such as horseback riding, camping, hunt- 
ing, boating, and canoeing. 
The concentration of population in the great metropolitan areas 
makes the outdoor recreation problem most difficult. At present 63% of 
the population live on less than 10% of the land, and by the year 2000 
some 73% will live in metropolitan areas. The growth in leisure time and 
the mobility of urban populations add to the scope and complexity of the 
problem. 
One-eighth of the total land in America is designated for public rec- 
reation areas, but paradoxically, much of this is inaccessible or unavailable. 
Most of this land is in the mountains of the West and Alaska, while a large 
percentage of the people are in the East. Also, most of the recreation de- 
mand must be satisfied in the after work and weekend hours, within one 
or two days of travel from home. Nevertheless, a distant wilderness area 
visited only occasionally may have an important qualitative element, es- 
pecially to people who live in cities. The crux of the solution lies in more 
efficient management of the resources available. To accomplish this the 
report classifies recreation resources into: 
I. High-Density Recreation Areas. II. General Outdoor Recreation 
Areas. III. Natural Environment Areas. IV. Unique Natural Areas. 
V. Primitive Areas. VI. Historic and Cultural Sites. The report recom- 
mends management policies applicable to both public and private lands 
in these classes. It recognizes the importance of organized groups, such as 
mountain clubs, wildlife groups, boating associations and other societies, 
in educating the public to use the out of doors to good advantage. 
The commission also strongly endorses the current program of land 
acquisition, carried out in cooperation with the states, to provide suitable 
habitat for migrating waterfowl. It notes that water is a key element in 
outdoor recreation activities, and recommends that in programs for pollu- 
tion control, soil erosion, flood-plan zoning, etc., recreation should be rec- 
ognized as a motivating purpose. 
330 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IIl. 
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