A new report provides a look at changes that could come to pass and impact recreation on public lands over the next 30 years. The data were over 700 horizon scan hits drawn from the Forest Futures Horizon Scanning Project by Northern Research Station scientists and cooperators. Horizon scan hits are a useful early warning system and point to uncertainty and volatility in recreation activities on public lands. Even a single scan hit is worthy of consideration.

Some scan hits point to significant decline in traditional activities, while other scan hits point to increases. New activities are emerging, and there are many changes in areas outside of recreation that will impact delivery of recreation on public lands. For example, climate change is already implicated in recreation changes, from reduced snow fall, to human and animal migration, to reduced biodiversity. Other potential changes on the horizon include changing attitudes toward nature, a growing role for time in forests as a component of healthcare, electrification of many modes of travel, rising potential for augmented reality (AR) in outdoor recreation, and the potential for robots to assist with recreation management. There are many plausible futures for recreation on public lands making planning more complicated, and the use of additional strategic foresight methods may help decision-makers think about the range of possible futures, and plan for a preferable future for outdoor recreation.