The Role of Economic Benefit Measures in Recreation Planning and Management

Authors

  • John Loomis

Abstract

When one thinks of the benefits of recreation, many different thoughts come to mind. Although the “economic value” of those benefits is probably not the first thing that comes to mind, economic value is one important dimension of the benefits of recreation. Why?  Because acquiring, maintaining, keeping open and managing recreation sites requires funding from someone, somehow. When recreation is only considered a “nice to have” amenity, it can be hard for recreation to compete against other public programs for money in a city or state budget. When recreation is only considered an amenity it is hard for it to compete against housing developments, mining or timber harvesting for the same piece of land or natural resources. Unfortunately, scarcity of budgetary or natural resources forces trade-offs. While economics isn’t (and never should be) the only perspective, it almost always is an issue. In addition, understanding the relationship between reasons why people participate in outdoor recreation and their economic benefits can help recreation managers provide the most benefits from an agency’s limited budget. 

Published

2016-11-15