ABSTRACT
Contact with nature, recreation, space, and individual privacy have always been important to man's survival. However, there has been an especially noticeable increase in outdoor recreation use in the United States since the early 1950s. The demand for recreation is expected to continue to expand at even greater rates as similar factors influence outdoor recreational activities over the coming decades. During the past several decades, the average life span in the United States has increased from 67 to 73 years, and with future medical advances, it could reach as high as 90 years by the turn of the century. Inland fisheries in the United States represent a major recreational value. During 1975, for example, 40 million anglers participated in 832 million days of warm-water fishing and 25 million anglers devoted 254 million days to cold-water fishing, including pursuit of sea-run salmon and trout in inland streams and rivers.
