UMaine Outdoor Survey to Guide State, Press Herald Reports

The Portland Press Herald reported an outdoor recreation survey being conducted by the University of Maine and the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands is expected to give state parkland managers better insight into how residents and visitors spend their time outdoors. The results of the survey will be used for a bureau report on how and why people recreate in Maine. The report, called the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, is required every five years by all states to help decide what outdoor recreation programs get funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This is the first year the bureau has partnered with UMaine. Sandra De Urioste-Stone, an assistant professor of nature-based tourism who is leading the survey, said the sample size is already at 14,000. “We’re very happy with the response rate,” she said. “Now we can talk with confidence about what Maine residents think of recreational opportunities, and what they like to pursue.”