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4.1 Demand

Participation in outdoor recreation activities in the South and other regions of the country has been growing steadily over the last few years. Among the fastest growing activities are viewing and photographing nature, including fish, wildlife, flowers, and plant life (Table 1). The number of people viewing and photographing fish almost doubled between 1995 and 2000. Gathering various forest products, such as berries, mushrooms and herbs also seems to be growing rapidly based on observed increases in visitation by forest managers. Various forms of boating such as kayaks and motorized personal watercraft are also becoming increasingly popular.

Other activities growing almost as fast as boating activities include hiking, backpacking, bicycling, horseback riding, coldwater fishing, walking, and visiting nature centers. In addition to cold water fishing, various other forms of fishing are growing in popularity, including warm water fishing in lakes and low-land rivers. Further down the list, even camping and off-road driving are growing faster than the rate of population growth in the South. Hunting also is rising, but not nearly as rapidly as the activities already mentioned. Slower growing activities include motor boating, sightseeing, and water skiing.

Across the Nation and the South, viewing, learning, and photographing activities have been adding enthusiasts the most rapidly. This fast growth in interest in viewing-learning activities and in demand for other activities brings both good and not so good tidings as we discuss later in this chapter the supply of recreation opportunities.

Topping the list of recreation activities in which Southerners are likely to participate in future years are walking for pleasure, attending family gatherings, visiting nature centers, sightseeing, driving for pleasure, picnicking, viewing or photographing natural scenery, and visiting historic sites (Table 2). All these are traditional activities that require little specialized skill, equipment or financial outlay and their persistent growth has shown no signs of subsiding. Next in popularity are a series of viewing and photographing activities, fishing, gathering nontimber forest products, hiking, visiting wilderness, boating and biking. Of these top 20 activities, only two, fishing and gathering, consume forest resources, and only two are motorized. None of the activities listed below the top 20 are participated in by more than 20 percent of the South's population. Activities become increasingly specialized and expensive as one moves toward the bottom of the list.

The relative popularity of activities is approximately the same in the South as in the United States as a whole. However, across almost all activities, participation percentages for the South are lower than nationally. The principal exceptions are the water-based activities. The percentages in column 2 of Table 2 represent very large numbers of people seeking outdoor recreation opportunities in the South.