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Introduction

This chapter overviews demands for and supplies of recreation and other nontimber uses of southern forests. We express demand in terms of the numbers of people who pursue various activities, including gathering NTFPs. In describing supply, we distinguish between public forests owned collectively by citizens and managed by government agencies at Federal, State, and local levels, and private forests owned by corporations or by individuals.

People are accustomed to paying little or nothing for recreation and other nontimber uses of the South’s forests. At most, they may pay a small fee for an activity like camping. Typically, people pay nothing for the scenery or wildlife that makes camping, or any other activity, meaningful for them. But just because recreation activities for the most part are free does not mean they have no value. People often travel hundreds of miles to camp in just the right setting. And a birdwatcher may get inestimable joy from seeing a new species or from seeing a familiar species doing something unusual. Many, and possibly most, people would argue that recreation and other nontimber uses are the most important and highest valued uses of forests. The value of these uses is evident in the high demands for recreation opportunities in the region. As we report in this chapter, some of these demands are growing very rapidly.

In addition to addressing the general question of demand and supply, this chapter also addresses some specific questions raised during early public meetings where the Southern Forest Resources Assessment was described and discussed.