A Geospatial Analysis of Equitable Recreation Access on Public Lands: A Case Study in the American West

Time spent outdoors in green spaces is a vital component of human health and well-being but access to green space is highly variable across the United States. Visitors to public lands and waters across the country are less diverse than the U.S. population overall. These disparities are due in large part to the legacy of discrimination against communities of color. Conservationists and outdoor recreation groups that advocate for landscape protection legislation would benefit from additional knowledge about the communities living around the landscapes they are advocating for. We present a case study that explores access to public lands and waters from an equity lens. We use geospatial analysis to explore the extent to which nature-based recreation opportunities are accessible to demographically diverse communities in two federally protected areas in the American West. We find that the proposed expansions to these two areas could protect a greater diversity of recreational opportunities that appeal to the communities living around these areas. Given the strong connection between access to green space and human health, increasing the likelihood that demographically diverse communities will visit public lands and waters has far-reaching implications for public health and wellness. The results of this project provide a framework for data-driven expansion and management of protected recreation areas.