Public input sought for NH outdoor recreation plan

New Englanders interested in helping shape New Hampshire’s upcoming five-year outdoor recreation plan are invited to participate in an online survey through Feb. 24, 2023.

The N.H. Division of Parks and Recreation has partnered with the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Recreation Management and Policy to design the survey as one part of the information gathering process for the 2024-2028 New Hampshire Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Management Plan, which helps shape management actions and investments statewide and is required in order for New Hampshire to receive funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund program.

Questions on the SCORP survey focus on a wide variety of outdoor activities, how often respondents have participated in them over the past year and other elements addressing people’s outdoor recreation experiences in the Granite State. 

The survey takes 10-15 approximately minutes to complete. All responses are confidential.

“The SCORP offers a roadmap – or trail map, if you will – for how outdoor recreation opportunities in New Hampshire will progress in the coming years,” said Eric Feldbaum, administrator of N.H. State Parks’ Bureau of Community Recreation. “One of its major influences is helping focus how funding for projects will be prioritized, so it’s very important to know what people like best about their outdoor recreation experiences here in New Hampshire.”

“We are so pleased to have as strong a partner as N.H. State Parks for this project,” said Michael Ferguson, Ph.D., assistant professor at the UNH Department of Recreation and Policy Management. “By gathering information from individuals with a broad range of outdoor recreation experiences, the outdoor recreation industry will be better able to create even higher quality experiences for them going forward, which in turn will have a major positive effect on the state’s economy.”

A link to the survey can be found at bit.ly/3YsM2Zm.

The Division of Parks and Recreation is one of five divisions of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. N.H. State Parks and Recreation is comprised of the Bureau of Parks Operations, the Bureau of Historic Sites, the Bureau of Trails, the Bureau of Community Recreation and Cannon Mountain Ski Area. The Division manages 93 properties, including state parks, beaches, campgrounds, historic sites, trails, waysides and natural areas. To learn more, visit nhstateparks.org, follow N.H. State Parks on Facebook and Twitter, or call 603-271-3556.

The Department of Recreation Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire prepares students for rewarding careers in a variety of settings throughout the recreation industry. Students can pursue undergraduate degree options in Therapeutic Recreation, Program and Event Management, or Outdoor Leadership and Management, and graduate degree options in Recreation Therapy, Recreation Administration, or Adaptive Sports. To learn more, visit chhs.unh.edu/recreation-management-policy.
 

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