Southern Region In the South, seventeen LGUs responded to the survey. Within Extension, five LGUs are either already working with their National Forest Gateway communities, have current expertise and capacity to engage in Extension’s role directly, or would be willing to reallocate existing resources to support this work. An additional ten LGUs are interested but would need external funding to support increasing capacity to engage, and two LGUs indicated that this does not fit into their current Extension priorities (see figure 3). Regarding recreation economy research in the South, six LGUs are already conducting research in National Forest
Gateway communities. An additional eight LGUs have Extension or academic faculty with research expertise that could be applied to forest gateway communities, however, external funding would be needed to support this work. Two LGUs currently need to gain expertise or capacity for research related to developing recreation economies in forest gateway communities. Still, they would be willing to increase their capacity and knowledge if external funding was available. One LGU indicated that this is not a current priority for their university (see figure 4).
Extension
FIGURE 3: Extension and Recreation Economies in the South
FREQUENCY
2
No thanks, this does not fit into our current Extension priorities
10
We are interested in being more involved but would need external funding to support increasing our capacity in order to engage
1
Yes, Extension is already working with our National Forest Gateway communities
4
Yes, we either have current capacity to begin engaging in Extension programming to support the development of recreation economies in National Forest gateway communities or would be willing to reallocate existing resources to support this
0
17
In the south there are currently Extension programs doing educational programming with federal partners in the National Forest, facilitating asset-based community development initiatives, providing capacity building in trail development, marketing, action planning for gateway communities, and developing educational programming for gateway communities. In addition, some Extension programs responded that they do not currently have extension appointments in recreation or tourism but would like one and that their communities need facilitation, planning support, technical assistance, and education/capacity building.
Research
FIGURE 4: Research and Recreation Economies in the South
FREQUENCY
2
No, we do not currently have expertise or capacity for research related to developing recreation economies in forest gateway communities but would be willing to increase our capacity and expertise if external funding was available to support this We have either Extension or academic faculty with research expertise that could be applied to forest gateway communities but would need external funding to support this work Yes, we have expertise and capacity in Extension and/or Academic faculty and are already conducting research in National Forest gateway communities
8
6
1
No thanks. This is not a current priority for our university
0
17
A wide variety of research expertise exists in the south that could be applied to the development of recreation economies including an urban forestry program, agricultural and natural resource economics, rural public policy and development, forestry, ag economics, tourism, data analytics and cluster analysis, outdoor recreation/visitor management, rural sociology, eco and agritourism, planning, economic development, recreation, and tourism, wildlife, forestry and environmental resources, parks, recreation and tourism management, tourism economics, market analysis, trail development, rural tourism, nature tourism and outdoor recreation, economic impact analysis, and business and workforce development.
Land-Grant University Capacity to Support Recreation Economies in National Forest Gateway Communities
4
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