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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 11.1). 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 kayaking and motorboating 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 coldwater fishing, various other forms of fishing are growing in popularity, including warmwater fishing in lakes and lowland 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 motorboating, sightseeing, and waterskiing.

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 about the supply of recreation opportunities, as we discuss later in this chapter.

Topping the list of recreation activities in which southerners participate 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 11.2). 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 NTFPs, hiking, visiting wilderness, boating, and biking. Of these top 20 activities, only 2, fishing and gathering, consume forest resources, and only 2 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. Nevertheless, the percentages in column 2 of table 11.2 represent very large numbers of people seeking outdoor recreation opportunities in the South.