State Stix
Illinoisans are passive about their recreation. Or so a survey undertaken by the University of Illinois Survey Research Laboratory discovered. The results of the 1991 study, consistent with those from similar surveys during the 1980s, show that "a majority of Illinois adults enjoy the outdoors in a passive way by simply walking (74.9 percent), driving (62.3 percent), picnicking (56.1 percent) and observing nature 50.9 percent," reports the state Department of Conservation in its upcoming Illinois Outdoor Recreation Plan. But, the department concluded, "Active outdoor recreation activities are also a prominent part of Illinoisans' lives. More than 25 percent participate in swimming, bicycling, running/jogging, golfing, fishing and softball/baseball." Department of Conservation figures, the source of the charts on this page (with the exception of Figure 2), show that attendance at state parks and recreation areas has leveled off somewhat in recent years after hitting a peak of 39,779,683 in 1990. The department attributes much of the decline in attendance at certain parks to last summer's flooding that hampered operations at many recreation areas in western and southern Illinois. But it says another form of recreation boosted attendance at Fort Massac State Park the opening of a riverboat casino in Metropolis. Attendance at the most popular state historic sites also dropped slightly from 1992 to 1993. Donald Sevener
34/July 1994/Illinois Issues
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