Community Input Needed for Outdoor Recreation Survey

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP), in conjunction with South Dakota State University (SDSU), is in the process of updating the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). As you may be aware, the SCORP is a statewide recreation plan encompassing municipal, county, state, federal and even private recreation opportunities. The plan examines how best to meet the needs of our citizens to provide quality, accessible, outdoor recreational facilities in our state. The SCORP takes a look at the most recent trends, data, opinions and collaborations. The document is updated every five years and is required to receive federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. Many of you have benefited from these matching grant funds, administered by GFP for the state of South Dakota, for your trails, tennis courts, swimming pools, playgrounds and other outdoor recreation opportunities in your communities. For more information on the SCORP visit http://gfp.sd.gov/agency/partnerships/docs/scorp.pdf. Inmid-August,youshouldhavereceivedanemailrequest for your community ’s help in gathering information to plan for these outdoor recreation opportunities across the stateofSouthDakota. Manyofyouhavebeeninvolvedin this process in the past, as the SCORP is updated every five years.As part of the SCORP update, GFP and SDSU are surveying city, county, state, federal, non-profits and other providers of outdoor recreation opportunities. The information we gather will help determine supply, demand, challenges and opportunities for outdoor recreation across the state and the resulting plan is often used to support investment in projects and grants statewide. GFP invites you to participate in the survey to share your experiences and perspectives on outdoor recreationinSouthDakota.Yourvoiceisanimportantpart of assisting your community in planning for the future. Once the survey is complete and the SCORP is updated, the information gathered from across the state will be available to your community to use in support of projects in your community and region.

GFP would appreciate your municipality ’s help in the following areas:

1)

2017 South Dakota Outdoor Recreation

Survey for Providers: As a provider of outdoor recreationopportunities,pleasecompletetheonlinesurvey at http://sdorprovider.questionpro.com The survey will takeabout15minutesofyourtimeandyourresponseswill remain confidential. Please complete one survey per community. If you would like more information regarding the details of this study please contact: stella.liu@sdstate.edu or 605-688-6163.

2)

2017 South Dakota Outdoor Recreation

Inventory:Inordertoevaluatesupplyanddemandacross the state, GFP is also inventorying the outdoor recreation facilities across the state. Please complete the survey online at http://sdorinventory.questionpro.com.

Please complete and return the provider survey and inventory by September 15, 2017. If you would like more information regarding the details of this study please contact: stella.liu@sdstate.edu or 605-688-6163. In addition to surveying municipalities, GFP is also surveying residents of South Dakota and visitors to our state who both recreate outdoors in South Dakota and don’t recreate outdoors. With this survey, GFP is asking people who do recreate outdoors to share where, how and when they recreate outdoors, what opportunities they ’d like to see more of, why they recreate and other such questions. For those folks who don’t currently recreate outdoors,GFPislookingforinputonwhytheydon’t,what are the barriers to them recreating outdoors and what can be done to help eliminate those barriers. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey yourself, as a resident of South Dakota, at http://sdoutdoors.questionpro.com and encourage your friends, family and community members to do the same.

Watch for the 2018 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor RecreationPlanandtheresultsofthesurveyandinventory to be released this winter!