Chapter 5: Rethinking “outdoor recreation” to account for the diversity of human experiences and connections to public lands

This chapter explores the historical use and application of the term “outdoor recreation” as an organizing theme for sustainable public land management planning. We suggest that agencies need a more encompassing concept and approach to management involving people—one that recognizes the variety of connections that people have with natural and cultural landscapes, whether for leisure, lifestyle, livelihood, or health. This perspective suggests the need to move from a “recreation as leisure” focus to more of a “recreation as human connections” approach to public land management that better reflects the ways in which people use and value public lands.