Developing forestry recreation services

Publication date: 25/11/2019
Extent: 24 pages

Contributions by: John Daigle, University of Maine, USA

Chapter synopsis: A high percentage of individuals participate in outdoor recreation, and as regions around the world continue to experience population growth there correspondingly will be increased demand for recreation services. Quality in such recreation can be defined as the degree to which recreation opportunities provide the experiences for which they are designed and managed. Therefore, key to protecting the recreation experiences in certain areas is an understanding of the different aspects of the visitor experience and recognizing which of these are important to visitors. This chapter is focused on developing forestry recreation services. Following a general introduction on recreation, a section is then included on visitor experience. The chapter then discusses the concept of the recreation opportunity spectrum. Recreation site planning and management are discussed, as are visitor use management, and monitoring and assessment. The chapter includes a case study on development of recreation services on privately owned forestlands in the United States.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0057.26