Who Recreates Where: Implications from a National Recreation Household Survey. Issue 4 (21st January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ghimire, Ramesh; Green, Gary T.; Poudyal, Neelam C.; Cordell, H. Ken
• Is Part Of: Journal of forestry. Volume 114:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 458
• Page End: 465
• Publication Date: 2016-01-21
• Subjects: consumptive and nonconsumptive recreation -- land-based and water-based recreation -- National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) -- private and public forests; Forests and forestry -- Periodicals; Forests and forestry -- Societies, etc; Forests and forestry -- Terminology; Forests and forestry; Forests and forestry -- Societies, etc; Periodicals; Terminology; 634.905
• DOI: 10.5849/jof.14-106
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1201

Abstract

Abstract : Given the growing US population and its relatively stable supply of publicly owned forests, it seems likely that future demand for outdoor recreation will be increasingly satisfied by privately owned forests. Therefore, it becomes important to understand whether visitors to publicly and privately owned forests have different characteristics. Using data from a US household survey, we found that college graduates and water-based consumptive recreationists (e.g., fishermen) were more likely to recreate on publicly owned forests and females and land-based consumptive recreationists (e.g., hunters) were more likely to recreate on privately owned forests. Our findings also suggested that elderly people and ethnic minorities appeared to be underutilizing public recreation lands in the United States. Management and Policy Implications Recreation resource planners and local recreation businesses benefit from knowing the characteristics of visitors that recreate in different types of forests. Ownership type (public or private) is one generic criterion that distinguishes forests along a variety of factors that define the appropriateness, accessibility, and desirability of sites for recreation. Findings indicate that visitors of publicly and privately owned forests have different characteristics. Models of visitation trends analysis, recreation demand projection, and business marketing to promote recreation on these lands should account for these differences. These findings also help public land managers understand which segments of the general population are being underserved so they can craft appropriate marketing strategies.