New Mexico Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan

Recreation Planning // Landscape Architecture

Logan Simpson led the development of Viva New Mexico: A Statewide Plan for Outdoor Adventure, which will serve as New Mexico’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) for 2016 – 2020. The SCORP provides strategies for strengthening New Mexico’s outdoor heritage.
The SCORP evaluates supply and demand for outdoor recreation resources and facilities, identifies outdoor recreation trends and issues, and quantifies economic impacts of outdoor recreation. It documents benefits associated with existing outdoor recreation activities and lands, as well as potential benefits that could be realized with changes in programs, facilities, access to recreation, education, marketing efforts, and other actions. Benefits include tourism revenue, attracting high-quality employers, reduced crime, employee retention, reduced health care expenditures, increased property values, shifts in transportation from driving to bicycling and walking, and other factors that can be translated into real dollars. This analysis is critical to understanding the cost/benefits of investments and developing additional public support for funding capital, operations, maintenance and life-cycle replacements of facilities and infrastructure. Public involvement included public opinion surveys targeted to residents, out of state visitor, and other stakeholders, such as government agencies and recreation-oriented organizations.