Dogs and Community Swimming Pools Fight for Attention

Last year, Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources conducted several surveys to help them update their 5-year Outdoor Recreation Plan.  Public and stakeholder input was sought to help officials develop the plan which serves as a road map of future outdoor recreation needs.  Based on the online survey (which EVERYONE had access to) completed by over 7,000 residents, the need for swimming pools came in dead last.  Actually, swimming pools were fighting for last place with unhappy dogs.  Very bad showing for the swimming pool community.

full document can be found here

The results are a bit better in the survey where they directly mailed/emailed survey to Pennsylvania residents ( about 2240 responded this way).  As you can see some of the data below, the importance of swimming was a little higher.   Swimming cracked the top 5 of recreation activities they participated in.


full document can be found here



 

Maybe they should have had a separate survey for young adults/children as swimming may not only have cracked the top 5 but been the number 1 recreation activities.  Adult respondents to the survey stated that swimming was the 2nd favorite outdoor recreation activity for youth (it would be interesting to ask the kids directly if walking the streets or sidewalks was their most favorite activity)

full document can be found here

Compared to other water based activities, swimming came out on top.  One wonders if these numbers have something to do with equipment needed for all the other water activities (i.e. motorized boating requires a boat.  How many households have the funds to own a boat?)

Below is a question that pertains to funding needs of aquatic recreation areas.

But when you throw all other activities into the resident survey (where the survey was mailed or emailed), swimming came out way below the dogs.

full document can be seen here

 

Finally, a survey was done by recreation providers.  This was an opportunity to hear from the “boots on the ground” Those stakeholders who directly provide or make decisions about local park and recreation services such as appointed officials (i.e., Managers/Administrators), elected officials, and park and recreation directors.  These folks understand their priorities, challenges, and opinions related to parks and outdoor recreation provision in their local area.  Over 1,000 responded to their survey. 

They did recognize that the top funding priority should be to maintain existing park and recreation areas (this might pertain to pools and playgrounds built decades ago and are crumbling). 

full document can be viewed here