Why

In the 1960’s, the Kennedy Administration proposed legislation that would eventually become the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act of 1965 (Public Law 88-578). Among other guidelines meant to safeguard natural areas, water resources, and cultural heritage, the law established the LWCF State and Local Assistance Program which is used to provide matching grant funds to state and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities. In recent years, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act and Great American Outdoors Act have permanently reauthorized and fully funded the LWCF program, respectively. Under this landmark legislation as well as its subsequent reiterations, any state that desires to participate in the LWCF program must complete a Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) every five years.

HOW

Zec Eight Insights partnered with University of New Hampshire to develop the next five-year SCORP. Zec Eight Insights was primarily used as a SCORP writer and document developer. That is, Zec Eight Insights worked with the University of New Hampshire partners to identify relevant data organization, overarching recommendations, and report sequencing to produce the physical final deliverable and document for public consumption, including layout and design.

What

The final New Hampshire SCORP identifies major issues and challenges facing the state’s outdoor recreation and natural resources; assesses the existing supply of, and demand for, outdoor recreation opportunities; evaluates recreation trends, deficiencies, underserved areas, and desired improvements; conducts an inventory of current outdoor recreation facilities, trails, and wetlands; establishes priorities based on outreach efforts, data research, and previous plans; and ensures accountability in measuring success using publicly issued annual benchmark reports.

Reference
Michael D. Ferguson, Ph.D., Associate Professor
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-1644
Michael.ferguson@unh.edu
4 Library Way
Durham, NH 03824