Houses scattered throughout fire-prone areas present extraordinary challenges for rural fire protection districts. As land uses shift to amenity-based development, less timberland is available for harvest. The effects of this gold rush are also likely to morph over time. Forest recreation isn't what it used to be. The boom economy, cheap gas, an aging population, and hot technology are creating new leisure activities and extending tourism to four seasons.
Trends favor short trips, high-quality experiences, and comforts afforded by high tech gear.
Associated non-forest opportunities like casinos and golf courses draw people who enjoy playing in the woods as much as they do at the gaming tables and on the links. Although tourism contributes to local income and employment, managers are now faced with congestion, conflicts between users, and resource-damaging excessive demand. In high-use places, especially popular rivers, use is rationed by permits. The notion that outdoor recreation should be free is falling by the wayside too. New mechanisms to charge user fees on public lands are being developed to allocate costs to those who benefit and to take pressure off general tax coffers.