World-class outdoor recreational activities are available in Chelan and Douglas counties throughout all four seasons. The Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders convened the Chelan-Douglas Counties Outdoor Recreation Study Steering Committee.
Background and Project Objectives
This report is structured to initially provide context and background on the current economic importance of outdoor recreation in the region, followed by details on the supply and demand for outdoor recreation in the region. This includes an analysis of the motivations and participation that drive outdoor recreation as an industry in the region, and a summary of existing studies and analyzes relevant to the research questions.
Regional Economy Profile
For more details about the research and results not described in the main body of the report, see the appendix. Although the farming category accounts for nearly 21 percent of jobs in the region, it accounts for 8 percent of production and 14 percent of employment.
Outdoor Recreation in the Regional Economy
In this case, it represents the economic activity supported by increased sales for businesses in the recreation industry. These effects are based on current supply chain conditions in the 2015 IMPLAN model data for Chelan-Douglas counties.
Regional Economy Trends
Outdoor Recreation Cluster Analysis
Hospitality and Tourism was the second largest traded sector cluster for employment in the Wenatchee Metropolitan region in 2014, following. Wages for the Hospitality and Tourism cluster in the Wenatchee Metro region show somewhat mixed results.
Regional Outdoor Recreation Participation and Expenditures
The following section details the activity, consumption, and benefits of outdoor recreation in Chelan and Douglas counties. Average daily expenditures for an outdoor recreation trip in Washington State typically range from a few dollars to over a hundred dollars (Figure 9).
Activity-Specific Survey Responses
Notably, 87.6 percent of visitors did some type of trail-based activity—such as hiking, backpacking, trail running, or mountain biking. Statewide, 15 percent of Washingtonians sled or tube, according to SCORP data. One in ten Washingtonians downhill skis.
Outdoor Recreation Participant Impacts
Visitors and residents alike named snowshoeing, downhill skiing, and cross-country skiing as their top three snow sports (Figure 13). Considering the multiplier effects previously described, these expenditures, when they occur locally and represent spending dollars that would not otherwise have been spent locally, can increase value by an additional 25 to 100 percent.
Economic Impact of Trails
Visitor spending accounted for 43 percent of total spending in Chelan County and under 22 percent in Douglas County. Total spending on walking eclipses spending on hiking by more than $10 million in Chelan County and by more than $4 million in Douglas County (Table 16).
Geography and Land Ownership
These public resources with investment opportunities for outdoor recreation are particularly scarce in Washington compared to other western states. These public land allocations also suggest that Oregonians and Idahoans have numerous outdoor recreation opportunities close to home. Different administrative bodies and institutions have different management goals, which leads to varying emphasis on outdoor life.
Regional Population
While Deschutes County has a 54 percent larger population than Chelan-Douglas counties, it also has 87 percent more lodging and food sales, and 73 percent more retail sales. Chelan-Douglas county population density is half that of Deschutes County, and much lower than the Washington State average. However, the growth rate for the oldest age groups compared to younger ones is dramatic.
Movement to Two-County Region
Nationally, a study by the USDA found that recreation-oriented counties are the fastest growing rural areas in the United States29 Migration and. As described in more detail in the appendix, most areas of the bi-county region saw an increase in the concentration of seasonal homes from 2000 to 2014. A look at the rental housing market in the Wenatchee area shows that across all types of housing, the vacancy rate decreased or remained the same from 2013 to 2016 (Figure 20).
National Demand Trends
Some, perhaps as many as 50 percent, accepted loss of income to move to the wilder area.34. Outdoor participation as the proportion of the total increases among the lowest income groups, possibly reflecting the availability of leisure time but unlikely to be associated with significant expenditure, while the wealthiest also experience some increase in participation, which likely to increase expenditure and overall effect. While Whites/Caucasians are still the vast majority of outdoor recreation participants, their share is declining as other ethnicities increase, including Hispanics (Figure 24).
Regional Outdoor Recreation Demand Trends
Trail User Preferences, Connectivity, and Expansion
One of the more interesting developments has been the addition of more than seven miles of mountain bike trails and a skills park to Squilchuck State Park near Wenatchee since 2015. The potential to develop these areas — some within minutes of the urban area — into mountain biking areas is enormous. . However, many of Chelan County's approved mountain bike trails—such as those near Pot Peak and Tyee Ridge—are remote and highly technical and advanced.
Survey Responses Regarding Preferences
The total number of visitors from other Western states paled in comparison to the percentage of visitors from another part of Washington. Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Chelan were the top destinations for three-quarters of visitors (Figure 33). A minority of visitors appear to be driven to the area by the opportunities for family activities and accommodation options.
Of the reference forests, Wenatchee National Forest attracted the smallest percentage of visitors from over 200 miles away (Table 23). Among the reference forests, Wenatchee National Forest attracted the second most diverse group of visitors (Table 27). However, the demographics of visitors to the National Forest do not match those of the surrounding area.
The Economics of Outdoor Recreation in Bend, Oregon
BPRD manages 3,469 acres of park recreation and nature areas and 65 miles of hiking trails within the district boundaries, which closely align with those of the city. 50 percent of homes in Bend are within 0.2 miles of the nearest park or trail, while almost all are within a mile (Figure 49). A hedonic property value analysis of the effect of proximity to parks and trails on home values in Bend yielded at least a 3.
Returns on Investments
Strategic development, maintenance and securing of access and information to activities with the highest demand (most participants and most participant days) as well as those involving the highest costs per trip and annual expenses, should have the highest return on investment.
Areas of Opportunity
One respondent said they would not return to the region because of rising hotel prices and clogged streets in each of the major communities in Chelan-Douglas counties. Others just wanted to be able to run, cycle or walk to other places in the region. 41 percent of visitors ranked family activities as very important or essential to their decision to visit the region (see Figure 21).
Key Findings and Management Implications
Lake Chelan, at 80.5 miles long, provides residents and visitors alike with the most opportunities to engage in water recreation in the region.71. That means drawing in and educating more of the region's growing Hispanic population about access to and benefits of outdoor recreation. Close to home, outdoor recreation opportunities have a high potential for returns – both residents and visitors use community centers throughout the region.
8 APPENDIX
Regional Cluster Analysis
As a traded sector, the Wenatchee Metro area also saw growth of approximately 383 jobs between 1998 and 2014. Other Tourism attractions (which include recreational industries and recreational camps) had the largest growth in trade employment over the period, with an increase of 267 jobs. Cultural/Educational Amusement and Theme Parks saw a combined decrease of 81 jobs over the same period.72.
Changing Climate
Average annual temperatures in the Pacific Northwest could rise 2 degrees by the end of the 2020s. Less snow will impact the more than 40% of the state's winter recreation that takes place in low-elevation recreation areas. The Nature Conservancy has mapped Washington's forests for fire risk and unsafe fuel conditions, and Chelan County forests are among the most at-risk forests in the state (Figure 45).
Flickr Photo Locations
Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding
Additional Recreation Expenditure Data
Quality of Life
Education
Families considering moving to the region may want to pay attention to the quality of primary schools. As shown in Table 2, many local districts recorded results below the national average, these results are shown in red. Douglas County's high school graduation rate is nearly ten percent below the national average.
Housing
Younger, first-time homeowners face lower costs on average when buying a home in the bi-county region than the rest of the state. The concentration of seasonal housing in the region has mostly shifted over time from more populous areas to more remote communities and locations. In the case of the latter, the area is home to nearly four times the national average level of seasonal housing.
Resident and Visitor Survey
- Demographics of Survey Respondents Race and Ethnicity
- Residents
- Visitors
- Town Activities
- Visitor Satisfaction and Accommodation
Leavenworth, third in percentage of full-time residents, hosted 33 percent of part-time residents. Chelan accounted for the fourth highest percentage of both groups, seven percent of part-time residents and five percent of full-time residents. Visitors in the lowest class had less than five percent of stays in all accommodations.
Local Outdoor Events
These events can draw certain groups to the area again and again, year after year. Predictable flows of special groups allow communities to build a stronger tourism infrastructure that meets the tastes of regular "customers". Using online searches as a proxy for interest in the area, the spark in potential foreigner attraction to the region spikes in April, peaks in early August, and returns to non-summer interest levels in late October.
Other Trail Economic Studies
The project would allow users a continuous route through the picturesque Soteska area. About two-thirds of those participating in some form of cycling indicated that they would ride the gorge more often after the project was completed. 95 Dean Runyan Associates, “Columbia River Gorge Bicycle Recreation,” Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, June 2014, available at: http://headwaterseconomics.org/wp-.
Tourism Needs
The two-county region, as the research shows, excels in meeting and exceeding visitors' expectations on the first two points. Respondents indicated they were satisfied with outdoor recreation in the region, regardless of the time of year and regardless of whether that recreation took place on snow, water or dry land. Yellow indicates that the percentage of visitors to a community who prefer improvements over amenities is higher than the regional average;
Regional Strengths and Weaknesses
In the remaining categories – outdoor recreation information, local restaurants and accessibility – the city was within ten percentage points of the regional average. It also exceeded the regional average for heritage and cultural attractions, quality of accommodation and outdoor recreation information. It also exceeds the regional average visitor satisfaction on heritage and cultural attractions, family activities, quality of accommodation, local restaurants and accessibility.