Webinar to Push for More State Outdoor Recreation Offices – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) will host an upcoming webinar aimed at getting more states involved in helping people understand how important recreation is to the nation’s economy.
The webinar, scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern on April 30, is entitled 25 in 2025.
Currently there are 24 states that have outdoor recreation offices advocating to bring attention to issues related to the industry.
Industries that are included in the efforts include RV, marine, motorsports, camping, fishing and hiking equipment.
“Such a fast-growing sector of the economy nationally is measured at $1.2 trillion of economic impact annually and has grown something like 36% in real terms over the past 10 years,” Chris Perkins, vice president of programs for ORR, told RVBusiness. “Even when you remove the impact of inflation, the sector of the economy’s ground 36%. That growth is reflected in states and something that we can all attest to, especially in the past few years, the importance of outdoor recreation, as a means for physical, mental health and connection with loved ones. Increasingly it’s a critical part of the states’ economic competitiveness.”
Perkins said that some states with active recreation communities such as Utah, Colorado and Arkansas were early adopters of the idea of a state office of recreation.
Others, such as Missouri, haven’t come on board yet, despite the fact that the state has some of the best camping and fishing opportunities in the nation as well as an extensive network of hiking trailes.
Perkins said farming in Missouri generated roughly $6.1 billion in 2023 and farming is big part of Missouri’s economy and way of life. Outdoor recreation generated $9.9 billion.
Other Midwestern states such as Oklahoma and Kansas have strong recreation economies thanks to road biking and gravel biking.
“They have like really awesome events that attract thousands people and millions of dollars in economic impact not to mention RV parks and camping,” he said. “No matter where you live in this country, there are great places to get outdoors and spend the night, especially for parents with kids.”
As such, the Midwest and Southeast are the two regions that are ripe for growth of outdoor recreation offices, Perkins said.
California, Texas, Florida and New York are the strongest states for the industry, but none yet has an office.
In a time of political divides in the country, it’s important to note that outdoor recreation has bipartisan support across the nation.
Besides support from both parties for legislation, 24 states have created offices since the first state office of outdoor recreation was created by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert in 2013.
The offices were created through executive action or legislation, placing offices or divisions in various agencies to catalyze new growth in their states’ outdoor recreation economies and access for all.
To see a map of states that have adopted offices, click here.
The campaign also includes a How to Create an Office of Outdoor Recreation brochure to help states create such an agency.
“The 25 in 2025 campaign isn’t just a goal – it’s a call to action for every state to get involved. It’s a vision of a future where every state has an office dedicated to unlocking the full potential of our outdoor spaces,” said Katherine Andrews, 2025 chair of the Confluence of States and director of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation.
For more information or to register for the webinar, click here.
