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Trend Reports
<br /> Issue No. 43, February 1990 3
<br /> cent); and,canoeing(11 percent)are expected to be the most popular. This forecast projects an in-
<br /> crease in nonresidents'outdoor recreation participation of 10.4 million additional hours.
<br /> • The combined projected increase for residents and nonresidents is 94.8 million hours,bringing
<br /> the total number of hours of participation for the year 2000 to over 1 billion,or 10 percent
<br /> above the 1985 level.
<br /> Impact Of Activities Geographic Patterns for 1985 Activities
<br /> On Resources And Close-to-Home Activities
<br /> Economics
<br /> Minnesotans stay within 30 minutes from home for almost three-fourths of their total outdoor
<br /> recreation time,but are willing to travel an hour or more for 22 percent of the time. Fifteen per-
<br /> cent occurs more than two hours away from home.
<br /> • An even larger percent of time is spent close to home for some specific activities. Recreation time
<br /> spent on running,skating and sledding,field sports(football,soccer),baseball and softball,biking,
<br /> walking/hiking and net sports occurs almost exclusively(90 percent)within 112 hour of home.
<br /> • Time spent on golfing,picnicking,swimming,nature study,cross-country skiing,pleasure driving and
<br /> recreational vehicle driving occurs within a one hour distance from home 70 percent of the time.
<br /> This tendency to limit outdoor recreation travel to within an hour from home,in combination with the
<br /> density of population in the Twin Cities metropolitan region,makes the metro region the primary loca-
<br /> tion of high participation recreation activities for Minnesotans. But as the next section shows,Min-
<br /> nesotans also spend a fair amount of time pursuing recreation in other parts of the state.
<br /> Far-from-Home Activities
<br /> • Minnesotans spend 22 percent of their outdoor recreation time at least an hour's travel distance or
<br /> more from home. Recreation time spent hunting,boating,fishing and sightseeing is almost as likely
<br /> to occur within an hour from home as it is further away.
<br /> • Canoeing and camping are the only two activities for which over 60 percent of participation occurs
<br /> further than a 1 hour distance from home.
<br /> • • The most common destinations for these long distance activities are three major areas: concentrated
<br /> destinations are in a group of mid-central counties(Mille Lacs,Kanebec,Pine,Chisago,Kandiyohi,
<br /> Meeker and Stearns),the north central lake district(Beltrami,Itasca,Hubbard,Cass,Crow Wing,and
<br /> Aitkin counties),and the BWCA. With the exception of the first group,these are also the most com-
<br /> mon destinations for nonresidents,with the addition of the west central(Ottertail,Becker,Douglas
<br /> and Todd counties)lake and resort area.
<br /> Geographic Patterns for Recreation Activities In 2000
<br /> The growth and resettlement of the population projected for 2000 will occur mostly in the ring of coun-
<br /> ties surrounding Hennepin and Ramsey counties,as well as to the northwest of the Twin Cities along the
<br /> 1-94 corridor,and south of the metropolitan area between Rochester and the Twin Cities. Growth in
<br /> these outer-ring suburbs is already making it difficult to acquire land for future outdoor recreation
<br /> facilities and resources.
<br /> At the same time,most of the activities that are projected to have the greatest overall increase in hours of
<br /> participation(walking/hiking,fishing,pleasure driving,biking,nature study,and golfing)are those for
<br /> which people stay within an hour from home for the majority of the time they spend on those activities.
<br /> Issue: The greatest strain on recreational resources will be found in and around rapidly growing
<br /> suburban areas. Management efforts that increase user education and cooperation in conserving
<br /> the resources,or limit their use,may be necessary to prevent the deterioration of these resources.
<br /> New ways to acquire or preserve land for recreation,such as purchasing private land rights,may
<br /> need to be developed.
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<br /> Trend Reports Minnesota State Planning Agency
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