NC Paddle Trails Association

Transcription

Successful Paddle Trails in North Carolina
Carolina Thread Trail Forum
Mooresville, NC
December 8, 2011
 Water trails are a rapidly growing
component of the travel and tourism
industry
 Innovative communities managing water
trails can realize a financial return
 Case study trends indicate paddlers will
spend between $27 and $63 per day
 Water trail development creates
economic and social impacts on rural
communities
 While not a panacea for rural
communities, they can help achieve
goals of economic diversification and
improved quality of life in communities
 NC has over 3,800 miles of estuarine
and ocean shorelines
 NC contains nearly 38,000 miles of
rivers and creeks
 Protected swamps, creeks and small rivers
provide an ideal setting for canoes and kayaks
 Open waters of the larger rivers and sounds provide
venues for touring and sea kayaks
 NCPTA is promoting North Carolina as a
paddler’s destination
 2001 economic impact study of eastern
NC indicated our coastal plain water trail
system when combining local and nonlocal expenditures produced $103.9M
impact in coastal communities (Thigpen,
2001)
 Studies indicate most paddlers are well
educated and have higher than average
incomes of $75,000 (Thigpen, 2001)
 Average age 49
 Paddle trails are a good mix for other
community AgriTourism, AgriCultural and EcoTourism efforts
– 82% like to explore local history*
– 75% like to “experience” the local culture*
– 70% like to eat in local cafes*
– 54% want to stay at local campgrounds*
– 38% like to shop for local arts and crafts*
*Thigpen 2001
 A destination paddler on a multiple day
paddle will spend about $88/day in a
community
 Expenditures include:
– Food
– Lodging (including camping & cabins)
– Retail sales
– Recreation service industries
 Communities that offer overnight lodging
opportunities and access to local
businesses along the paddle trail will
capture additional profits
 A shared vision for paddle trails with
existing tourism support facilities are
important community considerations
 Water trails also foster a sense of community
stewardship of natural resources
 Good stewardship fosters area as a paddling
destination
– 99.4% paddlers like to paddle in unpolluted waters*
– 99% like to hear the sounds of nature*
– 98.3% want to see birds*
*Thigpen, 2001
 Popular paddle trails can have an
adverse affect on local citizens and
should be given consideration. They
include:
– Sharing outdoor resources/experiences with
visitors
– More competition for local services
– Land values could increase
 In most case studies of paddle trails,
adjacent landowners have not been
adversely impacted by trespassing
 Defined and identified public access
points, public land and trail maps that
clearly illustrate the paddle trail will help
alleviate any adverse impacts on
adjacent lands
 Concerns of paddlers visiting an area
include:
– safety
– being hassled by locals
– threat of vehicle/equipment vandalism, and
– low quality health care or isolation from
health care
 A successful paddle trail will require
local community support and
maintenance if the community is to
realize maximum economic benefits
 Timing of the “infrastructure” to support
the paddle trail is critical – no lodging
sites, retail and services will diminish
local economic returns
 Trail Guides can be web-based
 Web-based trail guides – Lower
Scuppernong River Trail
Trail Descriptions
PP-TY-1 Lower Scuppernong River Trail, 10 Miles
Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 4-6 Hours
You have two options for beginning the Lower Scuppernong River Trail, the N. C. Wildlife
Resources Commission's Boat Ramp west of Columbia or the Visitor's Center managed by
the Partnership for the Sounds and the new headquarters for the Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge in Columbia. Near the beginning the lands adjacent to the river are within the
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and are inhabited by the many different varieties of
wildlife native to the area as well as migratory birds. It is not unheard of to spot a black bear
or whitetail deer swimming across the river, as a majority of the river's banks are
undeveloped. The Lower Scuppernong River Trail ends at Cross Landing, on SR 1105 near
the Tyrrell/Washington County lines.
Located upstream from Columbia are Riders and Second Creeks which can offer interesting
side trips or a nice round trip from the Visitor's Centers.
Trail map for printing (Adobe .pdf file)
Access Name/Description:
Latitude: Longitude:
(1) NC Wildlife Resources Commission's Boat Ramp off of SR 1228
(2) Partnership for the Sounds' Visitors Center and Pocosin Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Headquarters, off US 64 in Columbia
(3) Cross Landing Bridge on SR 1105
 The demand for away from home
canoeing and kayaking trips is projected
to increase to 169 million per year by
2040 (Loomis, 1997)
 Day canoeing and recreational kayaking
is projected to experience a 73 percent
growth by the year 2050 (Settina, 2001)
 These projected increases will provide
opportunities for recreational tourism by
progressive thinking rural communities
 Increased spending in these rural
communities will improve their overall
quality of life
 Many rural communities contain the
natural resources that many of today’s
family oriented travelers are seeking
 Many of these travelers are willing to pay
a premium for the experience
 Paddle trails can add an important
component “mix” to the overall tourism
efforts
 Many farmers participate in Farm Bill
programs and many conservation
programs increase natural habitats on
their farms
 These conservation areas can provide
opportunities for overnight lodging
facilities for paddlers and other uses
associated with agritourism and
ecotourism ventures
 Landowners willing to develop camping,
rustic cabins or similar lodging facilities
on their lands and are willing to shuttle
paddlers from the trail to their facilities
can realize economic development
opportunities
 This can also provide additional
opportunities if they are already involved
in some type of agritourism venture
 Landowners can partner with outfitters
and guides by providing camping or
other lodging facilities
 Inclusion in some type of educational
and interpretative services can also
enhance economic development
opportunities – another fast growing
component of the ecotourism movement
 Private landowners can partner with
guides and outfitters to provide the
interpretative component
 Successful destinations offer a variety of
accessible activities
 Providing this variety greatly increases
the tourist draw and potential economic
impact within an given area
 Today's travel trends are for more two-tothree day trips which limits travel for
recreation
 Most visitors will come from within a
three-hour one way travel distance
 With the ever decreasing number of
farmers, partnering with paddle trail
development efforts can provide
opportunities for farmers to interact with
non-rural citizen and share their stories
 NC like many southeastern states are
marketed as a major travel destination,
this significantly increases the potential
for visitors
 Appropriate marketing to beach goers of
different recreational activities can
increase economic development
opportunities for those living adjacent to
our coastal areas
 The NC Paddle Trails System (consisting
of 3,000 miles of paddle trails) is being
promoted as a paddler’s destination
 The system has drawn paddlers from all
along the eastern seaboard, from Florida
to Maine and into Canada
 The more temperate seasons of our
region offer paddling opportunities for
those who live in more extreme climates
 Many business people who travel to the
region are combining their business
travel with recreational paddling
 Studies have shown that recreationist
have higher participation rates in
activities that are associated with fresh
water, including paddling, bird watching,
other wildlife viewing and photography
(NSRE, 2000/Rebach, 2001)
 Some communities that have developed
successful paddle trails were rural,
facing high poverty rates and
unemployment rates, below average
annual wages, population stagnation and
slow transitions from agriculture
 They had lots of amenities and were
searching to diversify their local
economies
 Rural communities desiring to capture
economic benefits from paddlers will
need to invest in more tourist support
services
 Must have retail, service and lodging
facilities accessible near the paddle trail
 Without these facilities, paddlers will not
spend much money
 Common businesses that will benefit
from a paddle trail destination include
boat liveries and outfitters, motels, bed
and breakfasts, camping, cabins,
restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations,
craft shops, and similar ecotourism and
agritourism businesses
 Other venues can include local
museums, nature centers, local food and
farmer markets and other cultural assets
 The development of paddle trails will not
be an effective single strategy to improve
rural economic development
opportunities
 They can however, be a tool in a
community’s toolbox to improve the
quality of life for its citizens
 A successful paddle trail destination
community must support tourism
development
 Individuals must be willing to make
personal investments to support tourism
 Local entrepreneurship is critical to
growing a sustainable ecotourism
destination
 A variety of events that attract visitors to
the area can also help attract paddlers to
the area
 Sponsoring local paddle events are
partially important as:
– Paddling is a social event
– Many new to paddling feel more comfortable
trying paddling for the first time with a group
or a sponsored event
 Overnight trips are critical to maximizing
economic development opportunities
 Maximum paddle trail economic
development opportunities are realized
when they are a component of a larger
ecotourism strategy
Goals of the 2001 Economic Impact Study
– Determine a “Paddler” profile
– Determine paddler preferences
– Determine paddler impacts on:
• Economics
• Environment
• Quality of Life
Paddler Profile
–
–
–
–
–
Owns 1.6 kayaks
Owns 0.8 canoes
$75,000 average household income
Average age 49
61% are members of outdoor or
environmental groups
– Make 11.2 trips/year
– Average group size - 3.8
Preferences
–
–
–
–
–
99.4% like to paddle in unpolluted waters
99.0% like to hear the sounds of nature
98.3% want to see birds
82.2% like to explore local history
75.1% like to “experience” the local culture
Preferences – continued
– 69.9% like to eat at local cafes and
restaurants
– 52.4% want to stay at local campgrounds
– 37.75% like to look for local arts and crafts
to purchase
Concerns of “Visiting” paddlers
– 52.2% Concerned about vehicle break-ins
– 23.3% Concerned about medical care
– 14.9 % Concerned about harassment from
locals
– 11.6% Concerned about their safety
On Last Outing Miles Traveled, One Way
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Albemarle – 104
Outer Banks – 131
Pamlico Peninsula – 82
Lower Neuse – 80
Southern Coast – 92
Cape Fear – 64
Mid-Neuse – 40
Roanoke/Tar – 58
On Last Outing, Group Size
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Albemarle – 5.05
Outer Banks – 3.45
Pamlico Peninsula – 5.29
Lower Neuse – 4.48
Southern Coast – 4.23
Cape Fear – 5.44
Mid-Neuse – 4.06
Roanoke/Tar – 3.94
Primary Purpose of Last Trip:
–
–
–
–
77.0% paddling only (55.63 - 86.84)
15.9% part of a vacation (4.55 - 35.76)
4.3% visit family and/or friends (2.41 - 6.96)
3.15% work related (1.20 - 4.64)
Average days spent paddling per trip
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Albemarle – 2.11
Outer Banks – 2.04
Pamlico Peninsula – 1.89
Lower Neuse – 1.80
Southern Coast – 2.38
Cape Fear – 1.92
Mid-Neuse – 1.37
Roanoke/Tar – 1.84
Average expenditures per paddler per trip
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Lodging $46.17 (16.50 - 99.53)
Restaurant/Meals $14.82 (3.49 - 28.13)
Food, Ice, Drinks $8.27 (4.73 - 13.49)
Gas, Oil, Auto $6.83 (3.02 - 10.96)
Boat Rental $8.41 (3.10 - 16.25 )
Guides $53.29 (7.50 - 117.14 )
Equipment Purchase $154.49 (73.53 - 281.06)
Total expenditures per paddler per trip by
locals and tourists
– Locals $33.82 (5.67 – 90.27)
– Out of Region $62.06 (26.23 – 131.34)
Average party night expenditures by locals and
tourist from inside & outside coastal region
Expenses
Locals – In
Locals – No
Lodging
Tourist
Tourist – No
Lodging
Lodging
160.96
0.00
145.84
0.00
Restaurant
85.55
11.81
63.95
14.95
Food – Other
44.15
9.83
30.19
9.38
Gas, Auto
56.22
12.52
25.07
12.01
Other
Purchases
44.97
4.62
21.15
4.56
Boat Rental
19.85
4.62
5.38
3.80
Guides
0.00
2.64
4.35
.10
Eq. Purchase
6.92
73.61
22.71
35.18
Perceived local QOL impacts with increased
paddling activity
Increasing # of Paddlers
Negative Impact
No Impact Positive Impact
Congestion for Locals at
Accesses
54.2
39.1
6.7
Competition with Locals for
Water Recreation
46.4
46.4
7.1
Highway Congestion
33.3
61.9
4.8
Noise
20.8
71.5
7.8
Crime
19.1
71.0
9.9
Change in Local Customs
8.2
82.1
9.7
Community Pride
2.1
34.0
63.9
 By 2000 viewing and photographing
birds had become the fastest growing
outdoor activity in America, attracting
50M new participants in < 20 years*
 Also increasing 50 to 100% were
canoeing and kayaking*
* Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission
 1999-2001 and 2005-2008 National Survey
on Recreation and the Environment
indicates America’s interest in nature
and nature-based recreation is strong
and growing
 This trend has two important public
policy implications
 Public Policy Implications
1) Convert public interest in nature into active
support of and engagement in
conservation of natural resources
2) Use interest in outdoor recreation activities
as a means of stimulating greater physical
activity
 Trails yield significant health benefits
 USA comprehensive health economics
study showed for every $1 invested in
recreational trails yielded a direct
medical benefit of $2.94 (Wang et al 2005)
 NC Success Stories
– Roanoke River Partners
http://www.roanokeriverpartners.org/
– Haw River Trail http://www.hawrivertrail.org/
– Dan River Basin Association
http://www.danriver.org/index.asp
– NCPTA http://www.ncpaddletrails.info
 NC Paddle Trails Association (NCPTA) is
a state-wide non-profit who mission is
“to empower communities in the local
development, maintenance, promotion
and restoration of public paddle trails in
North Carolina thereby nurturing
economically and environmentally
sustainable communities”
Tom Potter, Executive Director
600 Lancaster Road
Pikeville, NC 27863
919 738-6314
[email protected]
http://www.ncpaddletrails.org/
 23 member Board of Directors
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5 Officers of the Board
3 regional representatives: Mountain, Piedmont, and Eastern
3 county or municipal parks and recreation representatives
2 paddle club representatives
2 NC Paddle Trails Advisory Committee representatives,
maximum of five at-large representatives, and
one representative each from the following groups: outfitters/guides,
business/industry, and environmental organizations.
 The Association is represented by it’s
Executive Director
 Meets quarterly, video-conference at
state university and community college
sites
 All meetings open to the public
 Developing Paddle Trails
– Develop a sign system for trail
 Signage should also include access sites

NC Paddle Trails Association

Transcription

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