Forest, Range & Recreation Resource Analysis Table of Contents
5.5 Recreation Issues
Levels of outdoor recreation use in B.C. are high and growing and the condition of recreation resources is changing. Developing opportunities to improve the recreation resource will require a coordinated effort on the part of several agencies and organizations.
Many provincial agencies are involved in some aspect of outdoor recreation and participate in land use and resource management activities so that these values can be protected or maintained. They include:
- B.C. Parks manages areas in the park and ecological reserve system
- Ministry of Forests manages recreation resources and public use in provincial forests
- B.C. Lands administers and tenures commercial backcountry use
- B.C. Environment manages wildlife and recreational fisheries resources
- B.C. Tourism promotes outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and non-residents
- B.C. Culture protects heritage values and archaeological sites
- B.C. Highways provides recreation and viewing opportunities along provincial highways.
Other federal, regional and local government agencies have an important role in outdoor recreation resource protection and use. Parks Canada manages national parks in B.C., Fisheries Canada provides sport fishing opportunities, the Canadian Wildlife Service manages migratory wildlife, and regional districts manage regional parks.
Many non-government organizations are also active in outdoor recreation. The Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. represents nearly 50 provincial outdoor recreation organizations and conservation groups that together have more than 120 000 members. Many member groups contribute substantial volunteer efforts to provide outdoor recreation opportunities in provincial forests, such as the development and maintenance of trails.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is another important outdoor recreation organization representing many local sporting clubs throughout the province. Commercial recreation operators such as guide-outfitters are also organized into various provincial associations.
In addition to the many agencies involved in outdoor recreation, many recreation experiences — particularly those taking place in corridors (e.g., scenic corridors along highways and roads and along rivers and trails) — cross a number of land jurisdictions. It would not be uncommon, for example, for a section of river used by boaters to include provincial Crown land in parks, provincial forests and also private land. To ensure the overall experience is of high recreational quality requires coordination among the various land managers and owners.
Effective provision of outdoor recreation, from protecting the resource to establishing facilities and managing human use, requires careful coordination among many interested parties.
5.5.1 Strategy and Objectives
There is no formal provincial strategy or vision for outdoor recreation. A strategy or vision is needed at the provincial level to address the issue of coordination and at regional and subregional levels to address desired future conditions for recreation.
An outdoor recreation strategy will ensure that outdoor recreation values and interests are considered prior to a land use decision. Following a land use decision, the strategy will help to sort out recreation issues that are unresolved by the plan. For example, a plan approved by government may result in the designation of some protected areas and the establishment of resource management zones for recreation. At this level, broad objectives for recreation zones may be established as outlined in the Forest Practices Code.
A recreation strategy can help to elaborate these broad objectives and resolve potentially conflicting recreation uses in these zones, such as commercial and public recreation use and motorized and non-motorized recreation use. The recreation management zones could be subdivided into smaller units, with more detailed objectives articulated to provide for different recreation interests.
A useful tool for developing a subregional strategy (and establishing objectives) for outdoor recreation may be the Limits of Acceptable Change system.[108]
5.5.2 Recreation Analysis
Recreation analysis is needed to help develop a strategy for outdoor recreation and to ensure recreation values are adequately considered in land use planning and decisions. Suitable analysis techniques need further development. For example, non-market values (e.g., option, bequest and existence values) are very significant for outdoor recreation and wilderness (as described in Section 7.3) and should be included in socioeconomic analyses.
5.5.3 Recreation Corridors
Many recreationists travel from one area to another along corridors (e.g., rivers, trails, scenic travel routes) as part of their recreation experience. These corridors may cross jurisdictional boundaries and require careful coordination and planning by many agencies and organizations managing outdoor recreation. Corridors must be recognized at each level of planning as important regional, subregional and local resource considerations.
5.5.4 Recreation Use
Depreciative Use
Although overall user satisfaction at Forest Service recreation sites is high,[109] vandalism and rowdyism are major issues at some sites, particularly near large urban centres. On the one hand, many recreationists prefer the rustic niche provided by Forest Service recreation sites, including minimal regulations, more remote locations, smaller sites and no fees. On the other hand, these conditions can result in depreciative behavior by some users. What level of enforcement and on-site management presence is needed? How should this be paid for? These are major questions confronting some Ministry of Forests district offices.
Low-Impact Use
Low-impact outdoor recreation techniques, such as horseback use, have been well-developed in the United States (e.g., the Leave No Trace program). These techniques can be adapted to B.C. through communication and consultation with user groups.
5.5.5 Use Impacts and Monitoring
An important land use goal is to provide a broad spectrum of sustainable recreation opportunities. Yet recreation use can affect both biophysical and social aspects of the recreation resource, such as through trampling of vegetation and crowding. Some of the provisions of the Forest Practices Code are aimed at ensuring sustainable levels of use of recreation resources. These important goals need to be reinforced by assessing impacts and monitoring the condition of the recreation resource over time.
5.5.6 Recreation Research
Research is needed on both social and environmental aspects of outdoor recreation. Social research can improve knowledge about the use, value and demand for outdoor recreation and public perception studies support many aspects of recreation management (such as the importance of visual landscapes). Environmental or ecosystem research is needed to better determine the relationship between outdoor recreation use and its impacts on soils, vegetation, wildlife and water.
5.5.7 Recreation Management
The Forest Practices Code presents opportunities to address many important recreation management needs, including training ministry staff about recreation management, developing field guides and auditing to ensure recreation resources are being effectively managed.
