Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 03/12/2020

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Statewide trends in Recreation In 2017, the Minnesota DNR updated a statewide outdoor recreation household survey that was last conducted in 2004. Key findings from the survey included positive news that outdoor activities are an increasingly an important part of most Minnesotan's lives. Previous 2004, data suggested outdoor recreation participation was declining, causing concern for public agencies charged with providing outdoor recreation. Fortunately, the 2017 survey results indicate that from 2004 to 2017, the percentage of Minnesotans who reported that outdoor activities are very important increased from 57 to 70 percent. How people spend time at work, with families and in leisure still has seen rapid changes in recent decades , which coincides with technological advances. Although Minnesotans increasingly are finding outdoor activities as an important aspect of their lives, overall trends in recreation and outdoor activities continue to feel new effects. As dynamics shift, a number of the traditional nature based activities are still declining. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Recreation Plan, outdoor Recreation Participation Minnesota is not escaping this broad trend —evident since the 1990s—of declining per -capita participation in nature -based outdoor recreation in the United States. This is a national trend that impacts national parks, national trails, state parks, state trails and other outdoor recreational facilities. It includes activities such as hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife watching, and wilderness use (Kelly, 2008). Although the decline in these activities in Minnesota is not as large as the national decline, it is still present. The primary driving factor behind this trend is a decline in involvement among young adults (ages 20-45) and their children. Today's young adults and youth are not as engaged in traditional nature -based activities as older generations were. Declines in participation reduce the number of Minnesotans who receive the personal and community benefits of outdoor recreation. These include physical activity, social and family bonding, sense of place, community pride and overall quality of life benefits that being active outdoors produces. (MN DNR REC PLAN). On a promising note, findings also revealed that "Minnesotans see the outdoors as a place to rest and relax, connect with family and friends, and improve their health." The report suggests a number of interesting possibilities: that Minnesotans prefer activities that require less equipment or advanced skills, and/or that they have not had the opportunity to develop interests and skills to participate in other activities. (cite MN DRN REC PLAN/SCORP) Programs which provide introduction to the outdoors, access to equipment or help develop skills necessary for outdoor recreation may be an additional area of exploration for Ramsey programs. These types of opportunities may also lead to more engagement from young adults and their children, to rekindle engagement in traditional nature -based activities that older generations experienced. PARK SYSTEM PLAN 121