Idaho's 2006-2010 SCORTP
| First, what is SCORTP? A fair question. The acronym stands for Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Plan. Every five years the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation goes through a process to identify outdoor recreation and tourism needs and inventory recreation facilities. SCORTP is an analysis of supply and demand as well as an overview of outdoor recreation in the state. It is a required element to retain eligibility to participate in the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant program administered by the National Park Service.
One of the outcomes of SCORTP is the creation of recreation grant criteria based on supply and demand analysis, public input and issue identification. In other words, the plan helps the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation meet the needs of citizens and visitors. |
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The complete plan is downloadable as a large (10.5 mb) document. For your convenience it is also available below by major section. Note: Most states refer to this planning process as SCORP, without the T Idaho uses. We have chosen to include tourism in the planning process and the acronym.
This section introduces the partners, the process, outlines our legal authority, presents an overview of our identified goals and objectives, and contains a review and evaluation of our previous SCORTP.
SCORTP is a partnership project between state agencies, federal agencies and others involved in providing outdoor recreation opportunities in Idaho. The 2006-2010 SCORTP includes partner descriptions and other useful information.
Statewide Outdoor Recreation Research
The capstone of our outdoor recreation needs assessment for SCORTP is a two-part survey of randomly selected households. This was the most exhaustive research of its kind ever undertaken in Idaho. The needs assessment survey was completed in early 2005. A companion survey designed to provide a profile of Idaho outdoor recreationists and better measure the depth of their participation in outdoor recreation activities was completed in November, 2005. Introduction and further details about the research is available here.
In this section, the charts and tables give an overview of Idahoans’ participation in outdoor recreation activities. The figures represent the statewide sample.This short section compares the 2004-2005 results, to results from the SCORTP Needs Assessment Survey of 2002 and discusses trends.
An analysis of significant trends in Idaho recreation.
There are significant differences between regions in the extent of participation in certain outdoor recreation activities. This section compares the participation rates region by region and also includes the statewide figure for each significant activity.
We asked Idahoans how long they would be willing to travel for recreation activities, what constraints might be preventing them from participating in their favorite activity, and a number of other questions regarding how they recreate. This section also includes an opinion survey that allows us to rank the perceived importance Idahoans place on many outdoor recreation issues. It also includes a demographic breakdown of respondents.
This ancillary study conducted in the fall of 2005, goes into greater depth regarding levels of participation, percieved impact of management actions, recreation motivation, influence of social associations, and outdoor recreation preferences.
The Idaho Conservation Data Center (ICDC), which is part of the NatureServe network with more than 75 comparable programs in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Carribean, collects, analyzes, maintains, and disseminates scientific information necessary for the management and conservation of Idaho's biological diversity. The ICDC, housed at Idaho Department of Fish and Game headquarters in Boise, prepared the Idaho Wetland Conservation Prioritization Plan for the 2006-2010 SCORTP.
A listing of projects funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Idaho from 1965 through 2005.
One required element of SCORTP is an inventory of all outdoor recreation facilities in the state. The above link leads to the "snapshot" listing of facilities contained in the plan. To access a GIS server that contains updated information about facilities and additional layers of information, go to http://gis.idaho.gov/recreation/.
One of the main purposes of SCORTP is to assure that projects funded by LWCF grants meet state, regional, and local needs as determined by the process.
Visions, Issues and Opportunities
New to the 2006-2010 Idaho SCORTP is a section devoted to envisioning the future and discussing current issues and opportunities. Outdoor recreation professionals and others who are experts in related fields were asked to give their thoughts on what outdoor recreation could look like five to 20 years from now, or to provide an overview of a current outdoor recreation issue. Articles include:
- What we've learned from Idaho's past, by Roger Batt
- Transportation & Recreation: Can this romance be saved? by Charles K. Just
- The business of tourism, by Carl Wilgus
- Hydro Projects: They’re not just about the electricity, by Mary Lucachick
- Energy, climate and recreation, by John Sackett, PhD
- Lessons to be learned from the Idaho outdoors, by Ron Watters
- Everyone has a camera and the film is free, by Rick Just
- Natural affiliations: Art and Recreation, by Dan Harpole
- The Role of Scenic Byways in outdoor recreation,by Garry Young
- Special Section: Outdoor Recreation: A dog's life; Your life
- Pet companionship in human outdoor recreation in Idaho, by Frank Achana, PhD
- Managing use of park space for the dogs, by Jamie Heinzerling
Idaho's 2003-2007 SCORTP
The complete plan is available by clicking here. It is a 32 mb PDF document.For easier download, each section is broken out below. The plan is also available on CD. Contact Comprehensive Planning, Research and Review Manager Rick Just. Note: All information contained on the CD is also available for download below.
The SCORTP Scorecards for 2003, 2004 and2005 are now available in PDF. See how we are doing on our goals.