5.0. PRSR 03-07-1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Trend Reports 4 Issue No. 43,February 1990 Activity Clusters Using the percentage of increase of activities for residents and nonresidents for 2000,three clusters of ac- tivity emerge: • Trail-related activities(walking,biking,cross-country skiing,etc.)account for 36 percent of the projected increase; • Water-related activities(fishing,swimming,boating,canoeing)account for 28 percent of the projected increase; • Other park and wilderness-related activities(hunting,nature study,camping and picnicking--but not field sports facilities)account for 17 percent of the projected activities. Issue: Trails,especially multi-use trails,and water resources will receive the most impact from the projected increases in these activities. How can resource conservation and environmental education be coordinated to build a conservation ethic that sustains these resources while allowing for increased use? Expenditures for Outdoor Recreation In addition to relaxation and enjoyment benefits to individuals,outdoor recreation also brings economic benefits to the state. In the recent past,expenditures for outdoor recreation in Minnesota have averaged$1.82 billion per year. Expenditures include resident and nonresident travel expenses(such as food,lodging,gas,and fees),and resident recreation equipment purchases(e.g.,fishing or camping equip- ment,and running outfits). The biggest proportion of expenditures is for travel expenses(68 percent). • Expenditures for outdoor recreation in Minnesota's regions range from$175 million in the Southeast Economic Region to 633.2 million in the Northeast Economic Region. • By 2000,annual expenditures are projected to range from$187.3 million in the Southeast Economic Region,to$217.5 million in the West,$217.9 million in the Central Region,$681.6 million in the Metropolitan Region,to$703.9 million in the Northeast Region,a total of more than$2 billion. Factors Affecting The current level of outdoor recreation participation is a continuation of a growth trend that began after Outdoor Recreation World War H. This growth trend was driven by the following factors: Participation • An increase in population of age groups that are physically active; 40 • An increase in the level of family income that allowed more money for recreation; • An increase in leisure time due to shorter work days and weeks and an increase in the desire to spend leisure time on outdoor recreation;and, • The availability of convenient,inexpensive modes of transportation. Age,Income and Education III During this 35 year period,the total amount of time the population spent on outdoor recreation increased by 4 percent annually. By contrast,from 1985 to the year 2000,the amount of total recreation time is projected to increase less than one percent annually. Changes in the factors that brought us to the current level are also affecting this slowdown in projected growth. • Age is one of the strongest predictors of outdoor recreation participation. Children and teenagers are the most active.Participation is then fairly stable until age 45,when there is a moderate decline that continues through the older age groups. • Different activities are more popular with different ages. Walking/hilcing,fishing and pleasure driving are at or near the top for all age groups after age 25. Biking declines gradually in popularity,while ball and field sports drop out of the top ten after age 24,and swimming after age 44. Golf,nature study,and sightseeing rise in popularity with age. Boating rises from 8th place for the 7-14 age group,peaking in popularity with the 45-54 age group,while hunting,camping and jogging hover in the bottom half of the list across age groups. • Outdoor recreation participation increases as income and education increase,up to a point. Par- ticipation increases from a per capita rate of 154 hours per year for those with incomes below$10,000 to a peak of 269 hours per year for an income of$30-39,000. • Participation increases from a per capita annual amount of 155 hours for adults without a high school diploma to a peak of 234 hours for individuals with some college education. • Trend Reports Minnesota State Planning Agency