Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s Post

If you love outdoor recreation data and research, you'll love this: we just released the complete Recreation Funding in America report that debuted earlier this month. Inside you'll find answers to questions like: - How much does the U.S. government spend annually on outdoor recreation? - Is federal recreation spending keeping pace with the millions more users getting outdoors? (Spoiler: No.) - What % of federal recreation spending comes from sources like fossil fuel taxes, excise taxes, and recreation fees? - Which agency's recreation spending will need the most attention in the future due to forces and trends like climate change, increased renewable energy, and changing consumer behavior? Dive on in: https://lnkd.in/gAx5mFbZ

Big win for the outdoor industry! For the first time, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has prioritized outdoor recreation in its funding—helping grow local businesses and improving access to our public lands. "We thank Senators Bennet and Schumer for championing this win-win approach. This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking support rural America needs right now." — OIA President Kent Ebersole. Read our full statement: https://bit.ly/4fA2GOQ #policy #outdoorindustry #news #governmentaffairs

The August issue of FOCUS Magazine explores the importance of local parks and trails and their positive impact on our well-being, community, and economy. Read more on Page 12: https://lnkd.in/egThbC4

Our CEO, Martin Sampson, spoke with Global News about the importance of Recreation and Parks Month in June. In the interview, Martin highlights how recreation and parks contribute to creating vibrant, resilient, and healthy communities. He also discusses the critical role that recreation professionals play in maintaining these valuable community assets. Martin addresses some of the evolving challenges the sector faces, and emphasizes that the scope of recreation is expanding, and CPRA is actively working to adapt and meet these new demands. Watch the full interview to learn more about the significance of Recreation and Parks month:

Missouri Main Street recently published an article outlining some important facts Main Street Alabama has been proudly relaying for years: historic preservation has incredible economic benefits! The positive impact of preservation efforts can create a lasting legacy in a community. Be sure to check out the link for more insight into how it creates and/or impacts heritage tourism, community revitalization, attracting talent and job creation, business incubation, sustainability and increased value. https://ow.ly/1WPK50U0AaO

Yesterday, Cavendish hosted a ‘New Year, New Towns’ event - looking at a key pillar of Labour’s housing agenda - chaired by Ali Craft. We heard direct from Labour politicians and voices across industry about what this new generation of New Towns might look like. Daniel Tomlinson MP, Labour Growth Group and Mission Champion outlined how they must be: 📍The right places - where there is transport capacity and the highest demand ⏰The right time - as soon as possible! 💷The right price - including affordable 🏡The right design - with attractive design and gentle density 🏗️The right infrastructure - with good public services throughout Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes Council - the most well known new town - highlighted these need to be more than just homes, but thriving communities in their own right. Jo Davis, Avison Young explained how although transport infrastructure is key, energy and water capacity is often overlooked. Andrew Taylor FRTPI, Vistry Group, questioned whether these will be delivered nationally, regionally or locally. See the full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/euBEknrn

ESLC's Director of Land Use and Policy Owen Bailey recently participated in two panels at the annual MaCo Winter Conference, a conference organized by the Maryland Association of Counties that enables counties to "leverage changing times, shifting budgets, and evolving technologies in order to achieve fiscally responsible and effective results for their residents." Bailey joined the conversation on Parks, Partnerships, and Recreation Resources, discussing the importance of collaboration in conservation efforts and explaining how we can foster healthy, resilient communities and ecosystems that will benefit future generations, by utilizing resources from Program Open Space. Bailey also joined a panel on Maryland's affordable housing challenges, and shared about how density can improve efficiency and increase land values in rural communities. You can read about both panels here: https://lnkd.in/eMJhFJVJ https://lnkd.in/ehwer2nr

Parks have a greater impact on the economy than you may otherwise think. For example, in just one year, local parks and green spaces supported more than 1.1 million jobs. It's that simple: parks and green spaces make more resilient and thriving cities. Learn more about the economic impact of urban parks at: https://lnkd.in/gGk9E4DE.

The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation has announced that the Parks and Recreation Authority has allocated over $7.6 million from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for state park projects in fiscal year 2024-25. These projects aim to expand and enhance state parks, providing greater opportunities for outdoor recreation and educational experiences across North Carolina. In addition, over $2.2 million for repairs and preventative maintenance throughout the state parks system were also approved. Learn more about these state projects: https://lnkd.in/eN--Rmq7

Great work from the great state of Maine for investing $30 million into trails! That sort of investment in Michigan, especially if it was focused on natural surface trails would get us a minimum of 300 miles of new natural surface trails. The actual # of miles would likely be higher as the $100k average is for feature rich trails that would include jumps, technical features, etc. Data also suggests that the investment will return $2-$3 per dollar invested annually at a cost of only 10% for maintenance...so next year that will be $60 million returned once built at a cost of $3 million annually. Is there a better economic development strategy? Oh, and $3 saved per dollar of trail for health care in the area!