Michigan’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is a five-year strategic plan, required to access certain federal grants, that shapes investment by the state of Michigan and local communities in priority outdoor recreation infrastructure, land acquisition and programming.

It is designed to evaluate ongoing and emerging outdoor recreation trends, needs and issues, and to establish priority strategies for achieving outdoor recreation goals. The state and its local outdoor recreation partners use the plan, known as the SCORP, as an ongoing framework and action plan for guiding their outdoor recreation management and policy decisions.

The plan is designed to be broad, serving as a guide for all outdoor recreation activities and communities throughout Michigan. It is flexible to allow for collaboration and strategic partnerships, to be adaptable to changing needs, and to be open to new ideas and strategies.

PUBLIC SURVEY

The primary tool to assess various aspects of recreation throughout the state for the plan was the 2021 Michigan Outdoor Recreation Survey.

Survey administrators divided the state into 10 survey regions, based on geography and previously identified “prosperity regions,” which included Detroit Metro, East Central, East, Northeast, Northwest, South Central, Southeast, Southwest, West and Upper Peninsula.

Topics addressed in the survey instrument included recreation participation by activity (frequency and duration), motivations and barriers to participation, recreation opportunities, information seeking and technology, land use strategy (proximity and access to recreation and quality), resources, physical fitness and activity, and demographics.

Additional reports providing significant value included net economic valuation of outdoor recreation and cost of illness saved through recreation.

The goals for the survey were to be representative of Michigan’s general population, repeatable to maintain relevance and enable collection of repeat information on a recurring basis, richer in information collected about activities, frequency and duration, and about motivations and barriers to participation in outdoor recreation, and regional.

“Empowering modeling by state agencies and other stakeholders and partners provides greater context and application of data to support outdoor recreation. It can be the basis for comparative information about outdoor recreation to guide decision-making and weigh investments at the state, regional and local levels,” said Brad Garmon, senior strategic advisor and executive director of the Michigan Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. “This is likely only the beginning of additional modeling and analysis using this data that could be undertaken at the state and regional levels.”

SURVEY RESULTS

The survey provided the basis for the goals, strategies and recommendations outlined above. Additional insights were gleaned from a follow-up series of diversity-focused regional conversations conducted across the state in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Both efforts, along with other data collection, were part of a multi-month effort to gather information about recreation demand and resources in Michigan.

Key takeaways from the statewide survey included data showing that:

∫ Most Michigan residents had participated in some type of outdoor recreation activity within the past year. However, African American or Black residents and those who live in the Detroit Metro area are less likely to engage in recreational activities. Factors such as income, accessibility, age and health may affect one’s ability to participate.

∫ Outdoor recreation is a healthy, readily available resource with numerous mental and physical benefits. Michiganders, overall, report that participating in outdoor recreation allows them to be close to nature, enjoy psychological benefits, and break from their typical routines. Certain motivations, such as practicing culturally meaningful activities and learning new skills, showed significant differences between racial groups. However, mental health benefits are a generally agreed-upon motivator by all.

∫ Michiganders are generally happy with the availability and quality of recreation locations. However, residents of more densely populated areas are considerably less satisfied with the availability and quality of recreation locations close to their homes.

∫ Participating in recreation and outdoor activities has many positive effects. Physical health is a primary motivator to engage in recreational activity. However, nearly half of Michigan residents do not engage in the recommended amount of regular physical activity. Promoting outdoor recreation is an easy way to increase and encourage overall health among all Michigan residents.

HEALTH IMPACT

OF OUTDOOR

RECREATION

The survey method in this SCORP provided the first estimate of the cost of illness savings based on participation in outdoor recreation activity in Michigan.

Based on prior work in Oregon, the “outdoor recreation estimator tool” estimates cost of illness savings for eight primary illnesses including breast cancer, colon cancer, stroke, ischemic heart disease, depression, dementia, diabetes and hypertensive heart disease.

The estimator models the relationship between behavioral changes, changes in physical activity exposure, and the resulting health outcomes. Based on that model, the total annual health cost of illness savings in Michigan due to the health impact of outdoor recreation was estimated at $2.8 billion.

At the state level, the top 10 activities with the highest annual cost of illness savings for Michigan were:

1). Going for a walk on local streets or sidewalks: $927 million.

2). Going for a walk on local unpaved trails or paths: $414 million.

3). Bicycling on paved streets, paths or sidewalks: $313 million.

4). Going for a jog or run on paved streets and sidewalks: $291 million.

5). Day hiking on nonlocal, unpaved trails or paths: $199 million.

6). Big game hunting: $151 million.

7). Off road motorcycling, ATV riding or four-wheeling: $121 million.

8). Bicycling on unpaved paths or trails: $113 million.

9). Going for a jog or run on unpaved trails or paths: $65 million.

10). Swimming at the beach: $44 million.

The results are also be broken out for each of the 10 prosperity regions in Michigan.

ECONOMIC VALUE

This SCORP effort similarly produced the first state economic value of participation in outdoor recreation.

The total net economic value of outdoor recreation in Michigan was estimated at $165 billion.

At the state level, the top 10 most important activities using the net economic value model were:

1). Going for a walk on local streets or sidewalks: $26 billion.

2). Day hiking on nonlocal, unpaved trails or paths: $18 billion.

3). Bicycling on unpaved paths or trails: $16 billion.

4). Bicycling on paved streets, paths or sidewalks: $13 billion.

5). Wildlife viewing and/or photography (including birding): $12 billion.

6). Going for a walk on local, unpaved trails or paths: $11 billion.

7). Off road motorcycling, ATV riding or four-wheeling: $9 billion.

8). Fishing on lakes or ponds: $8 billion.

9). Going for a jog or run on paved streets and sidewalks: $5 billion.

10). Big game hunting: $5 billion.

Building on prior work done in Oregon, net economic value of outdoor recreation is modeled based on the economic value of outdoor recreation (or the benefits received by an individual or group who participates in outdoor recreation) using a consumer surplus approach.

Consumer surplus is defined as the economic value of a recreation activity above what must be paid by a person to enjoy it. At the individual level, the net economic value of a recreation activity is measured as the maximum amount an individual is willing to pay to participate in the activity minus the costs incurred in participating.

It is important to note that it is not a measure of direct spending, but an estimation of the maximum value of participating in a specific outdoor activity for an individual.