ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the varying degrees of recreational access, examines the availability of private lands for recreation nationwide and provides a profile of private landowners and the private land base. Landowners adopting an exclusive policy purchase or own land because of the exclusive rights that a person receives to the attributes of that property. Compensation to landowners may be in the form of money, services, or other considerations valuable to the landowner. T. L. Brown and D. Q. Thompson found that landowners’ policies are determined not only by their personal experiences, but also by the experiences of friends and neighboring landowners. Recreation was another common use of land, even though few landowners were found to be physically altering the landscape to enhance recreational opportunities. The National Private Land Ownership Study is among the most comprehensive of research efforts to date, directed at documenting the supply of private, nonindustrial lands, particularly with respect to land available for outdoor recreation.
