The Policy Path to the Great Outdoors: A History of the Outdoor Recreation Review Commissions

Since the end of World War II, recreation has become increasingly important socially and economically in the United States, so much so that it became a focus of federal policy beginning in 1958.Since that time, two national commissions, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission and the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors, were established to bring to the president and the Congress findings and recommendations on the nation's policies to ensure continued availability of recreation opportunities for America. Now, twenty years since the last review, there is interest in addressing anew the policy initiatives needed at this time. This paper provides an overview of the two Commissions and outlines some considerations to address today.