Public land managers are confronted with an ever-growing and diversifying set of demands for providing recreation opportunities. Coupled with a variety of trends (devolution of governance and decisionmaking, population growth, technological innovation, shifts in public values, economic restructuring) and reduced organizational capacity, these demands represent a significant and complex challenge to public land management. One way of dealing with this situation is to use a framework to assist in working through this complexity. A framework, for the purpose of this report, is a process using a set of steps, based on sound science, that assists managers in framing a particular problem, working through it, and arriving at a set of defendable decisions. Several such frameworks exist for providing recreation opportunities on public lands. These include the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum, Limits of Acceptable Change, Visitor Experience and Resource Protection, Visitor Impact Management, and Benefits-Based Management. The report traces the development of each of these frameworks, describes the fundamental premises and concepts used within them, and provides an assessment of the experience with their use. Each of the frameworks has been used with varying success, depending on the organization's will, its technical capacity, the extent to which the process is inclusive of varying value systems, how open and deliberative the process is, the extent to which the organization is concerned with effectiveness, and the extent to which issues are confronted at the systems level.

Estimates of national forest recreation use are available at the national, regional, and forest levels via the USDA Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program. In some resource planning and management applications, analysts desire recreation use estimates for subforest areas within an individual national forest or for subforest areas that combine portions of several national forests. In this research note we have detailed two approaches whereby the NVUM sampling data may be used to estimate recreation use for a subforest area within a single national forest or for a subforest area combining portions of more than one national forest. The approaches differ in their data requirements, complexity, and assumptions. In the "new forest" approach, recreation use is estimated by using NVUM data obtained only from NVUM interview sites within the area of interest. In the "all-forest information" approach, recreation use is estimated by using sample data gathered on all portions of the national forest(s) that contain the area of interest.

Given increasing need and decreasing capacity, the Forest Service outdoor recreation research program must strategize how best to address current and future priorities. The papers compiled here were presented at the National Workshop on Recreation Research and Management held in Portland, Oregon, February 8-10, 2005. Papers are organized around four themes: Understanding Forest Recreation Visitors, Recreation Planning & Monitoring, Recreation Management, and Special Issues in Recreation.

Over a 3-day weekend in the spring of 2004 a group of scientists interested in extending understanding of place as applied in recreation research and management convened a working session in Portland, Oregon. The purpose of the gathering was to clarify their understanding of place-related concepts, approaches to the study of people-place relations, and the application of that understanding in recreation management for the purpose of integrating perspectives from different disciplines, discussing approaches to understanding and measuring sense of place, and other questions around the study and application of place-related concepts. Topics that generated the most discussion included how social processes influence place meanings, how place meanings are shared and negoitated within social groups, and when and how place meanings and attachments focus, reduce, or avert conflict in natural resource planning and management. This collection of papers is a result of that meeting.

Population growth in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska is expected to increase demand for outdoor recreation on public land. This trend will be tempered by changes in the sociodemographic composition of the population. Among sociodemographic characteristics, different ages and incomes correspond to different participation rates. Although older Americans are participating more, participation is still lower among this group for active pursuits. Hence, as the population ages, demand for passive activities may increase. Low-income people participate at a much lower rate than higher income people in outdoor recreation, and the growing disparity between the wealthy and poor may create inequities in opportunities for participation. State recreation planning documents for Oregon, Washington, and Alaska have identified this issue as a significant concern for recreation providers. Another important factor in recreation trends in the region is ethnicity: different ethnic groups participate in outdoor recreation at different rates, exhibit some different preferences for specific activities, and use recreation sites in different ways. In Alaska, the number of Asian/Pacific Islanders is expected to quadruple by 2025; in Oregon, the Hispanic population may triple by 2025; and in Washington, both these segments of the population may double.

Outdoor recreation is a central way that people interact with the natural environment. Federal land agencies are key providers of settings, facilities, and landscapes for recreation.

Natural resource professionals are often tasked with weighing the benefits and costs of changes in ecosystem services associated with land management alternatives and decisions. In many cases, federal regulations even require land managers and planners to account for these values explicitly. Outdoor recreation is a key ecosystem service provided by national forests and grasslands, and one of significant interest to the public. This report presents the most recent update of the Recreation Use Values Database, based on an exhaustive review of economic studies spanning 1958 to 2015 conducted in the United States and Canada, and provides the most up-to-date recreation economic values available. When combined with data pertaining to recreation activities and the quantity of recreation use, the recreation economic values can be used for estimating the economic benefits of outdoor recreation. The recreation economic value estimates provided in this report, whether from past research literature or from values constructed using our meta-analysis benefit function, are average consumer surplus per person per activity day.

The economic linkages between national forests and surrounding areas are one of the important ways public lands contribute to the well-being of private individuals and communities. One way national forests contribute to the economies of surrounding communities is by attracting recreation visitors who, as part of their trip, spend money in communities on the peripheries of national forests. We use survey data collected from visitors to all forest and grasslands in the National Forest System to estimate the average spending per trip of national forest recreation visitors engaged in various types of recreation trips and activities. Average spending of national forest visitors ranges from about $36 per party per trip for local residents on day trips to more than $740 per party per trip for visitors downhill skiing or snowboarding on national forest lands and staying overnight off forest in local areas. We report key parameters to complete economic contribution analysis for individual national forests and for the entire National Forest System.

Best Golf Course DOWNRIVER Originally built in 1916, Downriver Golf Course hits that sweet spot where duffers of a wide range of expertise can feel at home on its 18 holes abutting the Spokane River and adjacent to Riverside State Park.…

A system for blueprint-driven environment template creation in a virtual infrastructure comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to receive a blueprint, receive an environment template configuration, and build an environment template using the blueprint and the environment template configuration. The environment template is for provisioning an environment. The environment is for deploying an application. The memory is coupled to the processor and is configured to provide the processor with instructions.

This device 301 stores a first content-specific language model representing a probability that a specific word appears in a word sequence representing a first content, and a second content-specific language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence representing a second content. Based on a first probability parameter representing a probability that a content represented by a target word sequence included in a speech recognition hypothesis generated by a speech recognition process of recognizing a word sequence corresponding to a speech, a second probability parameter representing a probability that the content represented by the target word sequence is a second content, the first content-specific language model and the second content-specific language model, the device creates a language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence corresponding to a part corresponding to the target word sequence of the speech.

A data creation device performing compression encoding on first frame images showing a view from a first viewpoint and second frame images showing a view from a second viewpoint generates a stream in an MPEG-2 format, and base-view/dependent-view video streams in a format conforming to an MPEG-4 MVC format. The stream in the MPEG-2 format is generated by performing compression encoding on the first frame images. The base-view video stream is a stream of dummy data having the same number of frames as and a smaller data amount than the stream in the MPEG-2 format. The dependent-view video stream is obtained by performing compression encoding on each frame of the second frame images, with reference to a frame of the stream in the MPEG-2 format to be presented at the same time as a frame of the base-view video stream corresponding to the frame of the second frame images.

A system for monitoring water chemistry of a recreational water installation includes a sensor configured to detect bather load in the recreational water installation and a controller configured to determine a required adjustment to the water chemistry of the recreational water installation based upon the detected bather load.

A vacuum insulated door structure comprises a first wall having a first edge, outer sidewalls that extend from the first edge to a perimetrical lip, a first inner surface and a first outer surface. A second wall has a second inner surface, a second outer surface and a second edge coupled to the perimetrical lip forming a cavity volume. The second wall includes inner sidewalls defining a second wall opening. The inner sidewalls extend to a back wall and define a second wall offset. A tubular member includes a first end coupled to a first conduit opening in the first wall and a second end coupled to a second conduit opening in the second wall offset. A barrier layer is disposed on the first and second walls and the tubular member. A cavity insulation material is disposed within the cavity volume which is hermetically sealed.

A flotation system for a recreational board such as a stand up paddleboard includes an elongated substrate that is sized and shaped to releaseably wrap around the perimeter of a recreational board. The elongated substrate is constructed of a buoyant material such as foam, and defines a plurality of apertures that can be used to store items such as beverages and personal belongings. The elongated substrate is releaseably attached to the board by a variety of fastening means, and serves to increase stability and buoyancy of the board, and to protect the board.

A search system includes a user interface configured to receive information about a first application from a developer of the first application. The search system includes a state access module configured to obtain information about a first type of state of the first application from the developer. The information includes an action performed by the first type of state, a first access URL template, and a designation of at least one parameter for the first access URL template. The first application is configured to display a specific state of the first type of state in response to receiving an access URL formed by instantiating the first access URL template with at least one value for the at least one parameter. The search system includes a search engine configured to, in response to a query, obtain data from the first application according to the information about the first type of state.

SHE’S the woman behind such beloved creations as The Gruffalo, Zog and Stick Man.

BOOM Library has announced the release of its brand-new software plugin Grip, a collaboration with Pole Position Production. Grip lets you create dynamic and authentic skids, bumps, friction, rolling noises and much more with a variety of wheel configurations, ground materials and perspectives. Load Grip in your DAW of choice and design tyre and chassis […]

The post BOOM Library releases Grip vehicle sound creation plugin appeared first on rekkerd.org.

'The first chapters of Genesis are foundational for the rest of Scripture. The major teachings or doctrines of the Bible have their source in these chapters.'

Tearing something down is quick, easy, and very gratifying. What is more time-consuming and difficult is creating, building, and constructing. However, as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, the reasons why we are more likely to criticize than create aren’t just about effort.

Tearing down something is quick, easy and often gratifying. What’s more time-consuming and difficult is creating, building and constructing. As Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, however, the reasons why we are more likely to criticize than create aren’t just about effort.

We asked Seattle Times readers to make something with green beans, an egg, tomato sauce and potatoes and to tell us what you created — and our readers did not disappoint. These 12 were the strongest entries.

We asked Seattle Times readers to make something with green beans, an egg, tomato sauce and potatoes and to tell us what you created — and our readers did not disappoint. These 12 were the strongest entries.

Gov. Inslee announced Monday that golf and recreational fishing could resume on May 5 and many state parks and public lands will reopen as well.

Gov. Inslee announced Monday that golf and recreational fishing could resume on May 5 and many state parks and public lands will reopen as well.

The Department of Fisheries has released the results of a survey of WA's recreational fishing take, which has found the blue swimmer crab is the most commonly caught species.

The Department of Fisheries says as part of its second recreational fishing survey, it has begun interviewing recreational boat fishers.

One phone call closed a popular waterfront camp that has hosted thousands of children over 75 years but documents obtained by the ABC show that a NSW Government office went against the advice of experts.

The Victorian Government has passed legislation to phase out the 10 remaining commercial fishing licences in the Gippsland Lakes over the next two years.

The National Portrait Gallery acquires a rare painting of colonial life by a 19th-century mother of six who enjoyed recreational art.

As parts of Oregon are expected to see hot weather this weekend, some Oregon state parks have reopened, though with limitations and strict guidelines.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed immunity, reversed attorney fees. Plaintiff sued Defendant on a premises liability claim. The trial court found that governmental immunity applied and awarded judgment to Defendant along with attorney fees under Code of Civil Procedure section 1038. The appeals court held that government immunity did apply, but reversed the award of attorney fees because there was a real question of whether government immunity was applicable or not such that Plaintiff’s lawsuit had a reasonable cause which defeated the attorney fee award.

We explore what antibody testing is and the potential it has against the coronavirus as UC Davis Health begins testing some of its healthcare workers. Local county leaders check in, and the results of the Next Generation Jazz Festival.

Devil’s Head Recreation Area temporarily closed Tuesday afternoon to protect public health. The closure includes the Devil’s Head trailhead, campground, picnic area, fire lookout tower, several Forest Service roads and the Zinn trail (NFST615). The area is about 45 minutes southwest of Sedalia. The order will remain in effect until Dec. 1, 2020, or until […]

Plans have been announced by the Golf Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golf Union for the return of recreational golf in Ireland, albeit on a restricted basis.

NBC and Universal Television's "A Parks and Recreation Special" airs tonight on NBC, featuring the original cast and special guests filmed from their homes.

Beloved NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation," starring Amy Poehler, returned Thursday during the coronavirus outbreak for a special to benefit Feeding America.

In keeping with the best video game remakes, “Black Mesa” is a perfect complement to your rose-tinted memories, with modern-day graphics and extensive level design tweaks.

Researchers at Caltech have unveiled a complex new robot with the ability move between flight and walking on two legs. The machine unique design was inspired by birds.

strataconf: Building Big Data applications now easier http://t.co/jaATalPL4P Hadoop analytic engines simplify creation of low-cost, scalable apps