Research Results
Overall Summary of the Study
Northern Forest communities need a better understanding of how social and economic forces are affecting rural development prospects, particularly with respect to tourism and recreation on private lands. The research presented here addresses that need by conducting studies on land tenure changes and access trends; collecting primary data on landowners’ attitudes and behaviors related to access, easements, and secondary income; and evaluating the extent to which limited liability recreation statutes adequately protect landowners. Two main methods were used for research:
- Web Forum
- Mail Survey
Results from these two methods are arranged into five sub-categories:
- Changes in Land Ownership
- Recreational Access
- Landowner Liability
- Rural Community Development
- Demographic Information
Changes in Land Ownership
The longstanding tradition of free and open access to private land in Northern Forest states has been eroding for more than a decade as large tracts of land are changing ownership, land development is occurring, and landowners are seeking alternative sources of income (Vermont Recreation Plan 1988, Maine Public Use of Private Lands Task Group 1992). Globalization pressures in the forestry industry have forced a trend among timber companies with extensive land holdings to disinvest. These companies have subdivided tracts of land among a mosaic of buyers – federal, state, community, and private. The changes in ownership have often led to more regulated or restricted access to formerly open lands (Brown 1994a). The forces affecting the Northern Forests are in large part affecting those of forest land throughout the Eastern U.S. Changing land tenure of these forests has increased in recent decades and will continue to increase. Nearly 40% of the current forest owners have acquired their property since 1978, and 25% of all owners are over 65 years of age (Birch 1997). The average size of holdings is declining, which does not bode well for public access because, historically, owners of smaller holdings have been less likely to grant public access (Cordell et al. 1993).
Recreational Access
The new mosaic of land ownership in the Northern Forest is consistent with changing land patterns across the nation, where access is of concern and non-traditional uses of forested lands are increasing (Prukop and Regan in press). The economy of the Northern Forest region is transitioning from reliance on timber production to value-added forest products and other rural development diversification strategies. Outdoor recreation and tourism are particularly important components of transitioning rural economies (Brown 1994b) and the development of recreation and tourism services creates ways that landowners can realize supplemental or even primary income from public use of their lands. Given that 85% of the land in the Northern Forest is privately held (Governors' Task Force on Northern Forest Lands 1990), maintaining access to forest lands is important for the maintenance and development of quality recreation and tourism experiences in the Northern Forest. Landowner decisions to restrict access are complex and often controversial, requiring systematic studies to improve our understanding of motivations to limit recreational access.
Landowner Liability Protection
Each of the Northern Forest states has a limited liability recreation statute, but the wording of each statute and the range of activities and situations covered varies from state to state. Some of these statutes have been revised since they were last examined around 1990 by consultants for the Northern Forest Lands Council (Brown 1994b). A re-examination, comparison, and critique of these statutes would be timely. Past studies have shown that concerns about landowner liability are an important reason for posting and disallowing recreational access (Siemer and Brown 1993).
Rural Community Development
The economy of the Northern Forest region is transitioning from reliance on timber production to value-added forest products and other rural development diversification strategies. This transition has created new opportunities for non-traditional uses of forest land such as ecotourism, agricultural tourism, trail easements, and land-use leases that can help pay tax burdens and provide supplemental income for rural landowners. Outdoor recreation and tourism are particularly important components of transitioning rural economies (Brown 1994b) and the development of recreation and tourism services creates ways that landowners can realize supplemental or even primary income from public use of their lands. To help Northern Forest residents and leaders plan for the recreational and tourism development of the region, aspects of rural community development such as economic stability, environmental sustainability, and community vitality were researched.
Comments on this Page
Total: 3
Most recent:
How can you cite a Nature Conservancy study that shows decreasing needs for outdoor recreational demand when the very entity that conducted the study vehemently opposes most outdoor recreation to begin with??? Equestrian? Nope. Mountain biking? No again. ATV’s and OHV’s? Yeah, right. Snowmobiles? No. None of these uses should be allowable according to the TNC, yet here in NY we’re putting them in charge of our FP’s.
Good point — demand for different types of outdoor recreation is an important consideration. An article published in February 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences makes the case that we are seeing a “fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation.” The authors base their conclusion on an analysis of four types of recreation: (1) visits to public lands in the U.S. plus National Parks in the U.S., Japan, and Spain, (2) U.S. game licenses issued, (3) time spent camping, and (4) time spent backpacking and hiking. With the exception of backpacking and hiking (which showed an increasing trend), the other indicators examined in the study had declining trends. (For the complete article, visit http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/7/2295 .)
During that same time period, other studies have found increases in outdoor recreation in the U.S. (USDA National Survey on Recreation and the Environment) and ecotourism and nature-based tourism on a global scale (World Tourism Organization, Worldwatch Institute). How much of the decrease in visitation to U.S. public lands has been offset by other nature-based tourism destinations and activities? While some forms of outdoor recreation in the U.S. and other countries have become less popular during the past two decades, whether this conclusively means we’re seeing a “fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation” is still up for debate. I expect we’ll soon see many more studies further examining this question. In any case, recreation on private woodlands may be an important factor in promoting nature-based recreation into the future.
One of the underlying assumptions of the study seems to be that there is a continued and growing demand for outdoor recreational opportunities. However, a recent Nature Conservancy study shows the opposite: that in the US and in other developed nations there is a shrinking demand. See this link: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/minnesota/press/press3336.html