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In order to provide Georgia’s residents with improved opportunities for outdoor recreation, a taskforce including various outdoor recreation providers, crafted a clear and comprehensive plan, called Georgia’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) 2014-2016. This is Georgia’s official policy to guide outdoor recreation, which enables the state to be eligible to receive funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
The plan provides an overview of current trends for outdoor activity in Georgia as well as information on the economic impact of outdoor recreation on consumer spending. Many of the states’ short-term challenges as well as the emerging situations in regards to outdoor recreation are detailed in the plan, along with measurable and defined target goals to achieve between 2014-2016.
The plan notes, that in 2013, Georgia was ranked as the 20th most-obese state in the nation with more than half of it’s adult population failing to meet the CDC’s recommendations for weekly physical activity. It also acknowledges the state’s changing demographics and growing Latino population. Interestingly, the plan cites a study by Green et al. (2012) that shows a higher proportion of Latino kids playing outside for two or more hours, when compared to other children. With these changes, the plan recognizes a need to “attend to segments of the population ( i.e. ethnic minorities) which are underserved.”
By The Numbers
33
percent
of Latinos live within walking distance (<1 mile) of a park
