This report represents one of three reports prepared representing America's State Parks. Ney Landrum, Executive Director of the National Association of State Park Directors prepared a report on the State Park Directors perspective of renewable resources. Roger Moore of North Carolina State is contributing a section on Trails programs. The Resources Planning Act is a very broad peice of legislation, with few specific guidelines. The USFS interpretation is that the objective is to provide an overview of the current status and trends of the resource situation and demand for the resource.
State parks are part of the resource that is being considered.
The remainder of this report is organized into sections and represents what was written by Dan McLean of the State Park Information Resources Center a part of the Department of Recreation and Park Administration and Eppley Institute at Indiana University. Table of Contents Introduction State Park Areas State Park Facilities State Park Visitation State Park Finances Conclusions 1. Introduction America's state parks provide a unique resource for close to home outdoor recreation opportunities. The presence of these parks in America's urban and rural areas is a significant natural resource that adds to the base of opportunities for recreation and leisure. In many ways the 50 state park systems are both unique and everyday.