Outdoor recreation in shifting societal and natural landscapes

Outdoor recreation contributes to public health, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and  provides billions of dollars annually to rural economies. Visitors to federal lands alone spent $51  billion in 2012 in nearby communities during their trips to recreate on public lands and waters  (Forest Service National Center for Natural Resources Economic Research 2014). Outdoor recreation also promotes environmental stewardship and strengthens connections to public lands. However,  access to and preferences for outdoor recreation are changing along with climate, natural resource conditions, demographics, and socioeconomic trends. Outdoor recreation trends and futures are an  important consideration in this session aimed at developing a conservation agenda for the 21st century.