Monday, January 16, 2017

IMPORTANT PLANNING TOOL - FS Recreation Report Shows Current and Future Motorized/Non-Motorized Trends

Don Amador at BLM's Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area
Northern California

In November 2016, the USDA/Forest Service released an important technical report entitled: Federal outdoor recreation trends: effects on economic opportunities.  QWR believes this 56 page document provides important information to recreation and trail advocates on current and future trends for both motorized and non-motorized recreation on federal lands between now and 2030.

LINK TO REPORT WEBSITE

The report states that between 1999 and 2009, nature-based outdoor recreation generally increased, although trends differ across individual activities. The number of U.S. participants1 in 50 nature-based outdoor recreation activities increased 7.1 percent between 1999 and 2009, while the number of activity days increased at least that much. Activities oriented toward viewing and photographing nature have been among the fastest growing activities, both in terms of number of participants and activity days of participation. Off-highway vehicle driving realized a 34-percent increase in participants. Several physically challenging activities, such as kayaking, snowboarding, and surfing also had relatively large increases in this timeframe.

ATV Use at Oregon Dunes


QWR agrees with the report’s conclusion that states a major challenge for public natural resource managers and planners will be to ensure that recreation opportunities remain viable and adapt to a changing population. This could be accomplished through more creative and efficient management of existing federal recreation resources.

QWR believes that improvements to existing recreation resources can include a wide range of management options such designating connector trails, improved signing and maps, creating new trail opportunities within developed OHV areas, improved legal connectivity and looped opportunity for new OHVs such as UTVs, and consolidation of federal lands where appropriate to provide new staging areas or trails.

Connector Route for SxS Use
Stanislaus NF

As various Forest Service and BLM units continue or start their resource management planning efforts, QWR believes it will be important for OHV clubs to arm themselves with good information as they prepare their public comments.  Your comments (including site-specific examples of where a current or new use should or could occur) will play an important role in development of those management plans.

This report contains a lot of good information (including charts and graphs) about current and projected recreation needs related to developed sites, dispersed opportunities, backcountry activities, motorized uses, hunting, fishing, water sports, and skiing.

Active participation by local OHV clubs is a critical element in the land-use planning process.  Now more than ever… you are in charge of your own trail riding destiny.



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