The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released its “Blueprint for 21st Century Outdoor Recreation” report. The blueprint commits BLM to four policies guiding management decisions around outdoor recreation.
The four policies are:
- Growing and diversifying funding sources
- Prioritizing partnerships
- Establishing a culture of inclusion
- Expanding access opportunities to the lands
The Blueprint is not a formal management plan but a strategic document to guide the agency’s work, BLM said.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association’s “2023 Outdoor Participation Trends Report”, outdoor recreation participation grew 2.3% in 2022 to a record 168.1 million participants. Participants became more diverse in 2022, including increases in participation among Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQIA+ people.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) welcomed the report’s release.
ORR President Jessica Wahl Turner said: “The outdoor recreation economy continues to grow and become an integral thread in local communities’ and the nation’s economic health, as well as its social and physical health benefits. As more Americans get outside and enjoy our public lands, more pressure is put on popular sites with overcrowding and resource management issues. The BLM has 245 million acres of public lands where Americans can and should be encouraged to enjoy all forms of recreation and know that these same experiences can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Wahl Turner said the blueprint could be a game-changer for land management as it relates to outdoor recreation.
“It is also an opportunity for the BLM to look at partnerships and inclusion efforts differently,” Wahl Turner said, “and through a 21st century lens that will support outdoor participation for the next century and beyond.”
ORR said the plan is innovative and necessary and closely aligns with ORR’s efforts to see recreation prioritized and managed while preserving the health of our nation’s natural resources.
The Wilderness Society also backed the report’s release.
Jordan Schreiber, government relations director for The Wilderness Society, said: “This agency blueprint is a powerful commitment to the many values people seek when they head outdoors: vibrant landscapes, learning experiences that respect ancestral homelands, clean campsites and well-maintained trails, and healthy lands and waters that support abundant wildlife.”
