A research endeavor led by a team at Auburn University, spearheaded by Professor Wayde Morse, seeks to bridge a notable gap in outdoor recreation research through the development of the Outdoor Recreation Access and Participation Survey (ORAPS).

Morse, a professor of conservation social sciences in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment at Auburn University, highlighted the genesis of the project during his involvement in the CDC-funded ALProHealth initiative aimed at combating obesity in Alabama communities. The absence of comprehensive data regarding local park, trail and bike path usage underscored the necessity for a standardized approach to assess outdoor recreation participation.

"Currently there is no consistent, standardized and publicly available outdoor recreation participation data that can address local health, accessibility and environmental conservation concerns and monitor national trends," Morse said in a news release.

The discontinuation of the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) in 2014 further accentuated this deficiency, leaving a void in national-level data collection efforts.Collaborating closely with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station and Oregon State University, Morse and his team have embarked on an ambitious initiative. They are initially focusing on constructing survey question modules, refining methodological approaches and conducting end-user needs assessments.

The ORAPS, designed to employ a rigorous multi-scale approach, aims to gather county-level data to inform health and accessibility considerations. This data could then be extrapolated to discern state and national-level activity trends, offering insights valuable to land managers and industry stakeholders alike.

Pilot projects in Oregon and Alabama are underway to explore the utility of the data for Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORPs), thereby ensuring compatibility and efficiency in data collection efforts.

The ultimate objective of the initiative is the establishment of a National Recreation Demand Database, envisioned as a publicly accessible online resource. This database would serve as a valuable tool for managers, researchers, and industry professionals to address pertinent issues and facilitate informed decision-making.

"We believe a collaborative systems approach would better link local recreation supply and demand opportunities, assess recreation with health and accessibility data and gauge public demand for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services on recreation lands," said Morse said.

Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, emphasized the potential of such a database.

"A National Recreation Demand Database would facilitate recreation management, promote conservation, health and accessibility and provide a more holistic understanding of the many ways recreation lands contribute to our well-being," Alavalapati said. "Morse and his team are leading national discussions on outdoor recreation demand and accessibility to build coalitions that will actively work toward improving our collective quality of life."

Morse recently shared insights from the project in a webinar organized by the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP), highlighting the significance of such initiatives in the outdoor recreation sphere. With funding from the U.S. Forest Service, Morse and his team are slated to conduct workshops with federal agencies and academic institutions in 2024 to foster collaboration and consensus on future data needs for recreation planning and equitable access.

In tandem with these efforts, Auburn University's College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment has introduced the state's first undergraduate degree program in parks and recreation management. Geared towards preparing students to lead in an industry increasingly acknowledged for its role in community well-being and diversification, the program offers coursework addressing health and access concerns. Notably, it includes a concentration in community park and recreation management, distinguishing it among similar programs.

For further information on the degree program, interested individuals can visit cfwe.auburn.edu or contact workingwithnature@auburn.edu.