Connecticut State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2005 – 2010
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[This page intentionally left blank] CONNECTICUT STATE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN 2005 – 2010 M. Jodi Rell, Governor State of Connecticut Gina McCarthy, Commissioner Department of Environmental Protection David Leff, Deputy Commissioner Environmental Conservation Branch Thomas Morrissey, Bureau Chief Bureau of Outdoor Recreation September 2005 The preparation of this plan was financed in part through a planning grant from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, under provisions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (Public Law 88-578, as amended). Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... i List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................xv List of Photographs ...................................................................................................... xvi Reference Maps ..................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1 Encouraging Outdoor Recreation.................................................................1 1.1 The Benefits of Outdoor Recreation .............................................................2 1.1.1 Physical Benefits...............................................................................2 1.1.2 Educational Benefits ........................................................................3 1.1.3 Psychological Benefits......................................................................4 1.1.4 Benefits to the Community..............................................................5 1.1.5 Economic Benefits............................................................................4 1.2 No Child Left Inside........................................................................................5 Chapter 2 Connecticut: The Constitution State..............................................................7 2.1 Physiography...................................................................................................7 2.2 Water Resources .............................................................................................8 2.3 Climate.............................................................................................................9 2.4 Human Impact on the Land...........................................................................9 Chapter 3 Outdoor Recreation in Connecticut: Who Plays a Role?...........................13 3.1 The Federal Role in Recreation in Connecticut.........................................13 3.1.1 National Park Service...................................................................13 3.1.2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .....................................................14 3.1.3 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.....................................................15 3.1.4 U. S. Department of Transportation ...........................................15 3.2 The State Role in Recreation in Connecticut ............................................15 3.2.1 State Parks and Forests................................................................16 3.2.2 Hunting and Fishing .....................................................................16 3.2.3 Boating Access Locations .............................................................17 3.2.4 Law Enforcement..........................................................................17 3.2.5 Land Acquisition...........................................................................18 3.2.6 Commission on Culture and Tourism.........................................19 3.2.7 The Historic Preservation and Museum Division......................19 3.2.8 Connecticut Department of Public Health .................................19 3.2.9 Legislatively Provided Economic Assistance for Municipal Recreation......................................................................................20 3.3 The Municipal Role in Recreation in Connecticut ....................................20 3.4 The Role of Private For-Profit Organizations in Recreation in Connecticut....................................................................................................21 3.5 The Private and Non-Profit Role in Recreation in Connecticut...............23 3.5.1 Land Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Land ................................................................................................23 3.5.2 Fish and Game Clubs ....................................................................24 3.5.3 Historical Societies.........................................................................24 3.5.4 Connecticut Forest and Park Association....................................24 3.5.5 Friends of Connecticut State Parks..............................................25 3.5.6 Other Significant Non-Profit Recreational Property Owners in Connecticut.....................................................................................25 3.6 Consistency with Relevant State Plans and Programs ..............................26 3.6.1 Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut....................................................................................26 3.6.2 The Connecticut Green Plan: Open Space Acquisition..............29 3.6.3 Connecticut State Parks Infrastructure Conditions Assessment......................................................................................32 3.6.4 The Connecticut Recreational Trails Plan ..................................33 3.6.5 Connecticut Coastal Access Survey Project ................................34 3.6.6 Connecticut’s Draft Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) Plan ................................................................36 3.6.7 Connecticut Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan..................................................................................................37 3.6.8 Connecticut Statewide Forest Resource Plan 2004-2013 ..........38 3.6.9 Farmland Preservation Program .................................................40 Chapter 4 Methodology..................................................................................................43 4.1 Introduction...................................................................................................43 4.2 The SCORP Advisory Board .......................................................................44 4.3 The Supply of Outdoor Recreational Facilities and Resources................47 4.4 The Demand for Outdoor Recreation in Connecticut...............................51 4.4.1 Citizen Demand Survey.................................................................52 4.4.2 Avid Users Survey..........................................................................53 4.4.3 Town Officials Survey ...................................................................54 4.4.4 National Survey of Recreation and the Environment 1999-2003.................................................................55 4.5 Public Input ...................................................................................................55 Chapter 5 Demographics................................................................................................57 5.1 Connecticut’s Demographics .......................................................................57 5.1.1 Connecticut’s Demographic Makeup...........................................57 5.1.2 The Five Connecticuts ...................................................................58 5.2 Demographics of Survey Respondents........................................................60 5.3 Comparison of Sample Demographics with U. S. Census Data................65 Chapter 6 Supply ........................................................................................................75 6.1 Introduction...................................................................................................75 6.2 Description of the Database .........................................................................75 6.3 What Good is the Database?........................................................................77 6.4 The Supply of Outdoor Recreation in Connecticut ...................................78 6.4.1 Ownership.......................................................................................82 6.4.2 Need for Support Features............................................................84 6.4.3 Comparing Supply by County ......................................................84 6.4.4 Comparing Supply by the Five Connecticuts..............................85 6.5 Condition of Outdoor Recreation Supply...................................................86 6.6 Development of a Statewide Interactive Recreation Website...................88 6.6.1 Citizens............................................................................................89 6.6.2 Officials ...........................................................................................89 6.6.3 Business Community .....................................................................90 Chapter 7 Demand ........................................................................................................91 7.1 Introduction...................................................................................................91 7.2 Participation ..................................................................................................92