On June 1st, Ken Cousins (Research Principal at Earth Economics) presented our most recent work on outdoor recreation at the 2023 Annual Conference of the Inland Empire section of the American Planning Association, held in Priest Lake, Idaho. Ken summarized the results of the 2022 study, and described the data and innovative methods used to develop detailed estimates of visitation to state- managed lands in Washington state from 2019-2021.
The report “Outdoor Recreation on State Lands in Washington: What Mobile Device Data Reveal about Visitation” offers unprecedented insights into outdoor recreation in state lands, including visitation and spending estimates for over 600 recreational sites managed by Washington state agencies, as well as the economic contributions to nearby businesses and communities. These data have been made available for state lands managers through a visual interface that allows them to review and compare each site across a broad range of metrics.
This data-driven analysis sets a new benchmark for what can be done to understand the value of outdoor recreational opportunities at individual sites and communities and counties throughout the state.
