Study: Hispanics prefer developed recreation instead of wilderness

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In addition, it suggested most Hispanics who do visit national forests do not often participate in multiple-day activities like camping. Instead, Hispanics prefer developed day-use sites for activities such as picnicking. They also visit these sites in larger family groups than non-Hispanics, tend to stay longer on the day of their visit and prepare foods on site. This suggests day-use sites such as picnic areas with grouped tables and barbecue pits suited for large groups can better serve these visitors, according to the report. "Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic population in California and the nation," said Deborah Chavez, a Forest Service social scientist at the Pacific Southwest Research Station and one of the report's editors. "It's important for recreation managers on national forests to learn their preferences." he report showed lack of recreation information as among the top five barriers to national forest visitation reported by Hispanics, as well as African-Americans and Asians. Ethnic media outlets might be an effective way to reach these audiences, according to researchers....Forest visits are down 13% and wilderness visits are down 28%.