OUTDOOR ECONOMY
Outdoor recreation is an emerging economic powerhouse contributing $887 billion to the Nation’s economy, the fourth largest sector in the United States’ gross domestic product.
Preserving access to outdoor recreation opportunities is critical because it protects the economy, small businesses, communities, and the people who depend on the ability to play outside.
A newly recognized industry, outdoor recreation incorporates how you spend your hard-earned dollars either on gear purchases & vehicles or dollars spent on trips & travel. It’s changing how we think about the time we spend outside, the communities in which we seek to live, and the wild places where we play.
Stimulated by an experience-driven lifestyle, people want to not only get outside and play, but do so in their backyard. That is, the mountains, rock walls, lakes, ski glades, bike trails, and rivers. By re-thinking trails and tourism communities can leverage their natural assets into a sustainable and supportive outdoor economy. Over time, that effort adds up, and small yet robust economies of skilled workers with plenty of access & infrastructure will take place - not to mention healthy and environmentally wise, too.
Granite Backcountry Alliance “Quarry Dogs” work on snipping out glade lines on Mt. Prospect in Lancaster, New Hampshire.
PILLARS OF THE OUTDOOR ECONOMY
Economic development
Promoting economic development through coordination with outdoor recreation stakeholders, and leveraging outdoor recreational infrastructure and industry to promote tourism and recruit talent.
Education
Working with stakeholders and academic institutions to develop career and workforce training to recruit outdoor recreation businesses and provide a skilled, trained workforce.
conservation & stewardship
Inspired by environments that provide for outdoor play, namely land and water, and leveraging these natural assets in a responsible way to recreate and support a way of life. Protection of land & water is critical to form the foundation of the outdoor economy.
health & wellness
Active outdoor lifestyles support healthy communities which thereby reduce health care dependencies and costs, create positive economic growth, reduce crime and other social benefits.
HOW THIS RELATES TO YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS
Stimulated by an experience-driven lifestyle, outdoor enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes, sharing one common goal: to both work and play, as a way of life.
...Business owners seek a work - life balance, too. Many owners ride the same dirt as their employees. Trail amenities makes the workplace better, matching both passion and profession.
By leveraging recreational assets in a balanced manner, rural communities can provide a high quality of life and drive economic benefits and opportunities, attracting new residents and businesses seeking a balanced lifestyle.
LOCAL IMPACT EXAMPLE: GRANITE BACKCOUNTRY ALLIANCE (LED BY BACKYARD CONCEPT)
