Private Landowner Attitudes Concerning Public Access for Outdoor Recreation: Cultural and Political Factors in the United States

Abstract In this article issues concerning national commonalities and regional differences in the United States regarding private land and outdoor recreation are reviewed. Based on the particular cultural and political backgrounds of each region, it is hypothesized that landowners will exhibit degrees of differences in their attitudes regarding public access to private land. Data is from the latest decennial survey, the National Private Landowners Survey (NPLOS 1995-96), as well as from per capita state and local government spending on recreation, provided from the 1992 Census of Government. There is a discussion of the philosophical views on land in the United States, with some specifics for each region. It was found that there is a positive relationship between allowing public access to private land and the regional, state, and local spending on parks and recreation. The historical cultural differences between regions also seem to be of some importance, though not conclusive. Implications for marketing ...