Canada Land Inventory - Land Capability for Recreation

The inventory for recreational landuse capability has 7 Classes, from Class 1 with high capability to Class 7 with very low capability. The classification also examines the quantity of recreational use that a land unit can attract and withstand without permanent damage to the natural landscape. Intensive and dispersed activities are recognized in the classification. Intensive activities are those in which relatively large numbers of people may be accommodated per unit area, such as a beach. Dispersed activities are those which normally require a relatively larger area per person such as backcountry camping. The inventory is based on interpretation of aerial photographs, field checks, and available records. Capability maps are displayed with a 1:250,000 scale. Purpose: To provide an estimate of the quantity, quality, and location of outdoor recreational lands in the settled portions of Canada as basic information for planning recreation use.