Why is this important? Outdoor recreation enriches our lives in many ways, from boosting physical and mental health to strengthening family ties. Outdoor recreation also benefits communities, the state, and society by stimulating the economy and building enduring support for natural resources. Minnesota's history is rooted in the great outdoors. We have the highest per capita participation in fishing and boating in the nation, and numbers of hunters, park visitors, trail users, and wildlife watchers in Minnesota are far above the national average. However, recent studies have signaled some troubling trends: Participation declines: After some 50 years of growth, nature-based recreation turned a corner in the 1990s and is now declining on a per-capita basis in Minnesota and nationally. Per-capita visits to state and national parks, use of state trails, hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife watching, and wilderness use are all down. The primary contributing trend is a drop in participation by young adults (ages 20 to 40) and their children. Health declines: More Minnesotans are overweight or obese than ever before. Lack of physical activity combined with poor diet is second only to tobacco use as the cause of premature death in the United States. DNR has a role in turning around these troubling trends. By providing high-quality, attractive outdoor opportunities, we can make it fun and easy for Minnesotans to get outdoors and be physically active. |
Where is DNR headingWe seek to increase the connections Minnesotans have with the outdoors, particularly families, young adults, and children. In addition, we want to continue to engage our longstanding constituents, as well as increase participation among those who have not traditionally used our facilities and resources. This includes members of communities of color, individuals who experience language or cultural barriers, and single parents. Opportunities: We are working to provide something for everyone, including winter candlelight events in the parks, educational programs that build fishing and hunting skills, and high quality OHV opportunities in our state forests. We're strengthening partnerships with others, including our connection to schools, and we're expanding our support for after-school programming. Awareness: We are building awareness of DNR outdoor recreation opportunities through a spectrum of communication efforts. We are expanding the amount of information available online and in a variety of languages—particularly Spanish. We are developing a more user-driven Web site to better engage customers and provide an improved online experience that compels people to get outdoors. Research: We are conducting research to understand how families, children, and others would like to interact with Minnesota's natural resources. We are also evaluating the effectiveness of DNR outreach efforts. We will use this information to adapt our programs and facilities Foundation: We are maintaining the foundation on which outdoor recreation depends—lakes, rivers, wetlands, grasslands, and forests. We embrace green building approaches as well as sustainable and universally accessible DNR facilities DNR actions (a few examples)Building on DNR's current successful outdoor programs and facilities, we will reach out to meet the needs of Minnesota's changing population. In early 2009, DNR established a new Division of Parks and Trails to enhance our ability to better serve all Minnesotans and meet challenging trends. |
(Detailed descriptions of these and other measures are found in DNR's Strategic Conservation Agenda: Part II - Performance and Accountability Report.)
Outdoor Recreation Participation: Participation rates across key demographic groupings, e.g. adults ages 20-40, families with children; state park visitation
User Satisfaction Levels: Minnesota state park and trail visitor satisfaction levels; Minnesota boater, water access, and water trail user satisfaction levels; Minnesota state forest recreation user satisfaction levels
Outdoor Education Program Participation: Number of participants in MinnAqua education program, Project WET water education program, forestry education programs, Master Naturalist volunteer program; percentage of park visitors participating in outdoor education activities
Evaluation of Outreach Efforts: Measure DNR ability to change participation patterns as well as return on investment (indicator in development)