Today (Jun 27, 2017), the House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 289, the “Guides and Outfitters Act” or “Go Act.” Introduced by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), the bill aims to increase public access to recreation activities on federal lands by streamlining the federal permitting process.
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) – the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations with 29 members serving more than 100,000 businesses – joined outdoor recreation leaders from Maine, Michigan,Nevada, New Mexico and Virginia as they committed to advance the principles contained in the Outdoor Recreation Industry Confluence Accords on behalf of their governors. ORR is a founding sponsor of the National Governors Association (NGA) Outdoor Recreation Learning Network. Today’s signing ceremony brings the total number of states committed to the four pillars of the accords (conservation and stewardship, education and workforce training, economic development, and public health and wellness) to a historic 13. There are also 16 states with Offices of Outdoor Recreation or task forces created or in development.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Newly released economic data on the national and, for the first time ever, state levels reinforce what the outdoor recreation industry has long believed: Outdoor recreation is a powerful driver of national and local economies and it is growing faster than the U.S. economy as a whole.
This is the second consecutive year that the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has released formal, national-level data, a notable milestone for the industry now identified as a unique sector of the economy. For the first time, BEA also released preliminary data on the outdoor recreation economy at the state level for all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Having a rich set of both state and national data on outdoor recreation to draw upon will inform decision-making by businesses, policymakers, and managers of public lands and waters.
Contact with nature is an important part of growing up and linking Americans to one another; competing priorities and other factors impede getting outdoorsApril 26, 2017 - The findings from an unprecedented national study of Americans’ relationship to nature reveal an alarming disconnection, but also widespread opportunities for reconnecting. The results are prompting nature conservation, environmental education, and outdoor recreation leaders to rethink how they work to connect people with nature.
The Nature of Americans National Report: Disconnection and Recommendations for Reconnection reveals important insights from a study of nearly 12,000 adults, 8 to 12 year old children, and parents, and provides actionable recommendations to open the outdoors for all.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS AND RECREATION INDUSTRY LEADERS DISCUSS RECREATION EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENTSSenior officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest Service met with more than 30 representatives of the outdoor recreation industry at Shenandoah National Park April 24 to discuss improving visitor experiences on America’s public lands and waters. The meeting was hosted by the Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable (ORIR) at Skyland Resort – operated by National Park concessioner Delaware North.
National Visitor Use Monitoring begins on Plumas National Forest
Quincy, CA - Starting in October, the Plumas National Forest will be surveying forest visitors for the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program. Through an agreement with Plumas National Forest, staff from the Sierra Institute will conduct the surveys in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along Forest Service roads. "These interviewers are gathering important information on visits to the Plumas National Forest, so please pull over for an interview if you get the chance," said Earl Ford, Plumas National Forest Supervisor. "The survey is voluntary and all the information you give is confidential." Surveyors will be wearing bright orange vests and may be near a sign that reads "Traffic Survey Ahead." They may be out in all kinds of adverse weather conditions.
Recreation.gov is starting a new chapter. The multi-agency federal team overseeing the management of this valuable website – the provider of timely information about ways to enjoy America’s public lands and waters – has selected a new partner to take over operations in 2018. The new team is headed by Booz Allen Hamilton and includes NIC Inc., a member of the American Recreation Coalition (ARC).
The operation of Recreation.gov will continue through September 2018 under Active Network, another valued ARC member, which has been a leading force in technology solutions for the outdoors for more than 30 years. Active partners with state and county campgrounds, state wildlife and conservation agencies, state and county marinas and state-owned lodges, cabins and resorts on reservations, licenses, passes and more and played an instrumental role in unifying the federal campground reservation and information systems.
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