Best Practices in Recreation Resource Planning:
A Resource Guide for Planners

Compiled by John M. Baas, Ph.D.
 

During 2007, members of the NARRP Board of Directors began discussing the idea about publishing a book on best practices in recreation resource planning. These discussions included conversations with senior recreation planners in academia, the USDA Forest Service, and the California and Idaho Departments of Parks and Recreation about the need for such a book. The outcomes of all of those conversations were positive and in Spring 2008, the NARRP Board of Directors decided to publish an online resource guide, entitled Best Practices in Recreation Resource Planning.

This is consistent with one of NARRP’s strategic communication goals, to provide content rich communication to its membership in real time. The guide is hosted on the NARRP website, and will periodically be updated as new information becomes available. The guide is being written in part by and edited in its entirety by John Baas, who is on the NARRP Board of Directors. Equally important, other NARRP members representing a variety of organizations and planning perspectives are contributing chapters or portions of chapters. 
 

Update - April 2010

NARRP is continuing to work on the next set of chapters (6 through 8) for the best practices planning book.  

Meanwhile, we want to remind all of you that we are currently soliciting authors willing to prepare original work, as well as existing written material for the chapters listed below.  Any best practice that you would like to share does NOT need to be in final form.  We do not expect written materials to be “publication ready”; we have contracted with a technical editor to read all written materials and require all written materials submitted for publication to be evaluated by at least two peer reviewers.

NARRP greatly appreciates the interest expressed by our membership in this best practices planning book.  If you have an idea or practice you would like to share, or would like to prepare original work on a particular best practice, feel free to contact John Baas at (925) 787-6038, jbaas@comcast.net.

Chapters Requiring Authors and/or Content: 

Chapter 9, Managing the Outdoor Recreation Planning Process
Chapter 10, Analyzing Alternatives
Chapter 11, Planning and Decisionmaking
Chapter 12, Plan Implementation
Chapter 13, Emerging Issues
Chapter 14, Case Studies

Publishing Schedule: 

As of April 2010, we have posted five chapters to the website, and during the next 12 months, NARRP will continue to complete chapters and post them to the NARRP website. The planned phasing is as follows:

Table of Contents

Foreward

1. Introduction

2. Principles of Planning

3. The General Planning Process

4. Scoping and Public Involvement

5. Recreation Resource Inventories and Data Collection

6. Estimating Recreation Supply and Demand

7. Using GIS Applications

8. Collaborative Planning and Public Outreach

9. Managing the Recreation Planning Process

10. Analyzing Alternatives

11. Planning and Decisionmaking

12. Plan Implementation

13. Emerging Issues

14. Case Studies

This is a working document and as such may contain minor errors or omissions. The editor and the National Association of Recreation Resource Planners appreciate your comments in our continuing effort to improve it and keep it current. All content copyright 2009, National Association of Recreation Resource Planners.