Igniting research for outdoor recreation: linking science, policy, and action

Abstract

Public lands provide opportunities and settings for people to experience nature and the outdoors. These outdoor experiences are important for human health and well-being and result in visitor spending that benefits local communities. This report shows that new research, tools, and frameworks are needed to help us find new ways to conceptualize outdoor recreation and enhance the ability of public land managers to provide outdoor experiences while protecting natural and cultural resources. The report originated from a set of 17 working papers that were developed as part of an initiative among researchers, managers, and policymakers to “ignite the science of outdoor recreation.” These papers were presented at a 2018 science workshop in Golden, Colorado, that convened 88 outdoor recreation professionals to explore high-priority issues, information needs, and research directions. Their intent was to stimulate further questions, catalyze new thinking about recreation, and prompt institutional changes in how outdoor recreation and tourism are planned and managed on public lands.

Titles contained within Igniting research for outdoor recreation: linking science, policy, and action

• Chapter 1: The shifting outdoor recreation paradigm: Time for change
• Chapter 2: Agency capacity for effective outdoor recreation and tourism management
• Chapter 3: Recreation opportunities and human connections on public lands: Constraints that limit recreation participation
• Chapter 4: Language in the recreation world
• Chapter 5: Rethinking “outdoor recreation” to account for the diversity of human experiences and connections to public lands
• Chapter 6: Nature, outdoor experiences, and human health
• Chapter 7: Technology and outdoor recreation in the dawning of the age of constant and instant digital connectivity
• Chapter 8: Public lands, tourism, and community connections
• Chapter 9: Global dimensions: Trends, lessons, and collaborative learning
• Chapter 10: Laying the foundation
• Chapter 11: A systems thinking approach for thinking and reflecting on sustainable recreation on public lands in an era of complexity, uncertainty, and change
• Chapter 12: Integrating social, ecological, and economic factors in sustainable recreation planning and decisionmaking
• Chapter 13: Organizational change and operationalizing sustainable recreation—lessons learned from two natural resource governance cases
• Chapter 14: How can collaboration contribute to sustainable recreation management?
• Chapter 15: National forest planning: Applying new technologies and approaches to improve public participation and decisionmaking
• Chapter 16: Outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship: The sustainable symbiosis
• Chapter 17: Using social media for research and monitoring the changing landscape of public land use

Citation

Selin, Steven; Cerveny, Lee K.; Blahna, Dale J.; Miller, Anna B., eds. 2020. Igniting research for outdoor recreation: linking science, policy, and action. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-987. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 257 p.