More people are taking an interest in outdoor recreation in New Hampshire at the same time as seasons are shifting, winters are warming, and storms are strengthening. To what extent are these simultaneous trends influencing one another? University of New Hampshire researchers collaborated with New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation to study this question, as the state developed its 2024–2028 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.
Updated every five years, the plan is a required component of state applications for federal land and water conservation funding. Information gathering for updates includes a survey of in-state recreation visitors (defined as New Hampshire residents who are adults and who have participated in outdoor recreation in the state within the past 12 months) and providers (defined as “any individual representing an outdoor organization that provides and/or promotes outdoor recreation in New Hampshire”).
For the new plan, for the first time, the survey included questions about respondents’ perceptions of climate change impacts. As noted in an issue brief published by Carsey School of Public Policy in April 2024, “Understanding the perspectives of both providers and visitors is critical to outdoor recreation planning because of outdoor recreation’s contributions to the state economy and the role it plays in incentivizing people to live in New Hampshire.”
The survey occurred just after winter 2022–2023, one of the warmest on record in New Hampshire. And while both providers and visitors recognized climate impacts to the winter season, providers perceived substantially more impacts than visitors from “shorter winter seasons” and “damage to recreation infrastructure from storms.” In contrast, visitors reported minimal impacts of extreme weather, suggesting they were either unaware of the extent of damage caused by extreme weather or were able to adapt their outdoor recreation to accommodate ice, rain, and wind, and the resulting poor travel conditions and trail closures.
The researchers credited providers with apparently insulating visitors against the impacts of a changing climate. However, they wrote, while recreation businesses can maintain positive visitor experiences right now, “additional support is needed to continue doing so, particularly in response to changing winter conditions and extreme weather events.”
Based on study results, the researchers’ recommendations included designing and amending outdoor recreation areas to be adaptable to seasonal shifts and to minimize visitor impacts on the natural environment, and collaboration among state agencies to develop a shared set of guiding principles for sustainable outdoor recreation management across New Hampshire parks and protected areas.