Outdoor Recreation Resource Links
The following subject headings are linked to websites and publications of value to researchers, students and others interested in studies and other resources related to outdoor recreation research.
2003-2007 Idaho Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Plan
University of Idaho Travel and Tourism Study
Idaho GAP Analysis
Inside Idaho. Interactive numeric and spatial information data engine provided by the University of Idaho. The site includes layered GIS data, an Idaho statistical abstract and data on climate, population, politics and atmosphere.
National Park Service Conservation Study Institute
NPS Park Science magazine
NPS Public Use Statistics Office provides information on visitation, revenue, acreage and more.
The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) is a Washington-based non-profit organization which seeks to catalyze public/private partnerships to enhance and protect outdoor recreational opportunities and the resources upon which such experiences are based. Their site contains useful research results, including links to reports on the Outdoor Recreation in America surveys.
Northwest Area Foundation, Northwest Indicators. Dedicated to poverty reduction in eight states, including Idaho, the Foundation's site provides useful information, by county, on economic indicators, health and other population characteristics.
USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station Recreation, Wilderness, Urban Forest, & Demographic Trends Research website. Includes the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment and the National Human Dimensions Framework and Database for Conducting Social Assessments.
US Census Bureau. Excellent original source site for descriptive information on the nation, state and county level.
FedStats is a window on the full range of official statistical information available to the public from the Federal Government. Access official statistics collected and published by more than 100 Federal agencies without having to know in advance which agency produces them.
Defenders of Wildlife Habitat and Highways Campaign. Dedicated to reducing the impact of roads and highways on wildlife, and incorporating wildlife conservation into transportation planning.&
Humane Society of the United States. Creating safe passages for wildlife.
US Department of Transportation. Critter crossings--Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill. A comprehensive site with information on everything from salamander tunnels to bear passages.
National Transportation Library, US Department of Transportation. Sponsored by the USDOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, this site provides searchable databases and selected full text of transportation publications. It also provides access to TRIS Online, the Transportation Research Board's bibliographic database of transportation literature.
TranStats, the Intermodal Transportation Database. Data rich site includes databases on boating and bikes as well as highway and aviation statistics.
International Conference on Ecology and Transportation. ICOET is designed to address the broad range of ecological issues related to surface transportation development, providing the most current research information and best practices in the areas of wildlife, fisheries, wetlands, water quality, overall ecosystems management, and related policy issues.
Center for Transportation and the Environment. Includes searchable databases on many research subjects concerning transportation impacts on the environment.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.
Charged with improving the availability of transportation-related information needed by Federal, state, and local decision-makers, the National Transportation Library's (NTL) mission is to increase timely access to the information that supports transportation policy, research, operations, and technology transfer activities.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is a unit of the National Research Council, a private, nonprofit institution that is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board's mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation by stimulating and conducting research, facilitating the dissemination of information, and encouraging the implementation of research results.
The non-profit Surface Transportation Policy Project was created to ensure that transportation policy and investments help conserve energy, protect environmental and aesthetic quality, strengthen the economy, promote social equity, and make communities more livable, emphasizing the needs of people, rather than vehicles, in assuring access to jobs, services, and recreational opportunities.
The Institute for Transportation Studies at UC-Davis conducts research on travel behavior, advanced environmental vehicle technology, and environmental impacts of transportation.
Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) seeks to increase understanding of tourism’s impact and the importance of tourism to the economic, social and cultural life of the United States.
The National Household Travel Survey and the American Travel Survey are household-based travel surveys conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Survey data are collected from a sample of U.S. households and expanded to provide national estimates of trips and miles by travel mode, purpose, and a host of other characteristics. The survey collects information on daily, local trips and on long-distance travel in the United States.
The American Association of Public Opinion Researchers (AAPOR) is an association of about 1,600 individuals who share an interest in public opinion and survey research. Members work in a wide variety of settings, including academic institutions, commercial firms, government agencies and non-profit groups, as both producers and users of survey data.
The American Statistical Association (ASA) is a scientific and educational society founded in 1839 with the following mission: To promote excellence in the application of statistical science across the wealth of human endeavor.
General Social Survey The General Social Survey (GSS) assesses social changes in contemporary America through a standard core of demographic and attitudinal variables, plus topics of special interest selected for rotation. The site allows users to query the database and run statistical analysis.
The American Planning Association (APA) is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning.
PLANetizen is a public-interest information exchange for the urban planning and development community, providing a daily, one-stop source for urban planning news, job opportunities, commentary and events.
About Planning is an Internet clearing house for information about websites, publications, essays and news related to land use planning, growth management, comprehensive planning, smart growth, new urbanism and more.
The Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse mission is to make the tools, techniques, and strategies developed to manage growth, accessible to citizens, grassroots organizations, environmentalists, public officials, planners, architects, the media and business leaders. Their list serve disseminates information on best land use practices.
The Urban Land Institute is a community of practice for those engaged in the entrepreneurial and collaborative process of real estate development and land use policy-making. The site includes archived research, special reports and the opportunity to subscribe to a weekly land use newsletter.
Smart Growth America is a nationwide coalition promoting a better way to grow: one that protects farmland and open space, revitalizes neighborhoods, keeps housing affordable, and provides more transportation choices.
Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land is the only national nonprofit working exclusively to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being. TPL helps conserve land for recreation and spiritual nourishment and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities.
The Idaho Recreation and Park Association supports the enhancement of Idaho's quality of life by promoting the preservation, growth, and development of parks and recreation services to benefit the health and well being of people, communities, the economy, and the environment.
The Mission of the National Recreation and Park Association is: "To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people."
The National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) is a limited member organization of only 50 members. Active membership is limited to the administrative head of each of the nation's state park agencies. Their website includes white papers on park issues.
The purpose of the non-profit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is to enrich America's communities and countryside by creating a nationwide network of public trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors.
The Trails and Greenways Clearinghouse provides technical assistance, information resources and referrals. The site includes a database of state by state trail and greenway contacts.
The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.
The National Center for Bicycling & Walking is the major program of the nonprofit Bicycle Federation of America, Inc. Their mission is to create bicycle-friendly and walkable communities.
US Forest Service's Technology and Development Program Trail Publications. Many publications on the technical aspects of trail building.
Active Living Policy and Environmental Studies (ALPES) is a $12.5-million national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation® (RWJF), created to stimulate and support research that will identify environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships.
Promoting Physical Activity Through Recreation In America's Great Outdoors. CDC led effort of eleven federal programs.
The Prevention Research Center provides resources and information about physical activity to researchers, public health practitioners, and others who are interested in promoting physical activity in their communities
The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity is a group of national organizations that independently address a host of issues pertaining to physical activity, including health/science, education, environments, population specific outreach, and activity behavior.
The National Sporting Goods Association conducts research activity participation which may be useful to planners. Note, however, that according to their most recent survey, Idahoans' top two activities are target shooting and touch football.
The Outdoor Industry Foundation's mission is to promote and preserve the human-powered outdoor recreation industry. Their site features news of interest and some marketing and participation research.
Invasivespecies.gov lists relevant Idaho laws and rules regarding invasive species. It also provides links to relevant current organizations and activities.
Idaho's Noxious Weed Plan.
The Idaho OnePlan is a multi-agency website providing resources for best management practices in pest control, noxious weeds, water quality, etc. for farmers. It contains a comprehensive link set.
Mosquitoes of Idaho, by Don Brothers, is a comprehensive guide to identification and control of mosquitoes. This is a long PDF download, but well worth the time.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's West Nile Virus site includes national links about the disease and much information on how to control its vector.