With bicyclists rolling by, the setting was perfect on the last day of August one year ago when Governor Josh Shapiro announced the formation of
Pennsylvania’s Office of Outdoor Recreation in Connellsville, Fayette County.
With a river and trail fueling its growth and prosperity, the town was symbolic of the power and potential of outdoor recreation that could be harnessed with a new office.
It’s been a year since the office was formally announced and structure created inside the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, but the work to lift up the outdoor economy had begun in earnest a year before, with the hiring of the state’s first Director of Outdoor Recreation, Dr. Nathan Reigner.
Reigner immediately got to work soliciting feedback from stakeholders engaged in the outdoor economy, convening listening and strategy sessions, hosting webinars, and making countless new connections with businesses, economic development organizations, non-profits, and government entities.
Silas Chamberlin, Chief Strategy Officer at York County Economic Alliance, a key contributor to the office’s vision and formation, sees an immediate impact from the work.
“After only one year, the Office of Outdoor Recreation has exceeded expectations in galvanizing the outdoor recreation economy and its stakeholders,” said Chamberlin. “Travel to any community in the state and chances are they’ve heard of the office, are following its growth with excitement, and are -- often for the first time -- talking about their community’s parks, trails, and rivers as economic assets. This Commonwealth-wide interest reaffirms the many opportunities the office has to bring together and fully leverage Pennsylvania’s massive outdoor sector.”
Growing Outdoor Recreation in Pennsylvania
Shortly after its formation last August, the office produced it conclusions report and roadmap for the future from those conversations and feedback.
The
Growing Outdoor Recreation for Pennsylvania Report and Roadmap (PDF) is the synthesis and compilation of the hundreds of voices who participated in the year-long engagement process.
The report outlined foundational principles, strategic priority areas, and more than 50 action items to unite, grow, and strengthen Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy.
One of the first action items to begin in the first year is Pennsylvania’s Outdoor Business Alliance project, unveiled at Gilson Snow by Governor Shapiro in February.
Uniting and Strengthening Our Outdoor Economy
With artistic, colorful snowboards and skis flanking the event space inside the world-class manufacturing facility, the Governor and Director Reigner discussed how an alliance for Pennsylvania’s outdoor businesses can help to organize and support the industry, much like other structures support specific industries in Pennsylvania.
Despite its $17 billion economic contribution in Pennsylvania, the outdoor recreation industry is diverse and largely underrepresented.
While Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry boasts some household brand names like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Zippo, most of our outdoor businesses are small and distributed widely across the landscape -- from manufacturers and distributors of outdoor gear and vehicles to retailers and service providers, to professionals like consultants, trail builders, map makers, and content creators.
Separate, their voices and impact can appear small, but stitched together and unified, they have the power and potential to deliver even more to Pennsylvania.
Coordinating Resources for Outdoor Business Growth
Through a steering committee of outdoor recreation businesses and trade associations, the Outdoor Business Alliance project over the next year hopes to determine what Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry needs for business growth.
An alliance hopes to develop business-to-business opportunities, and understand the industry’s needs for entrepreneurial incubation, access to capital, workforce development, market expansion, etc.
At its core, the Office of Outdoor Recreation serves as an ombudsman for Pennsylvania’s outdoor industry, a matchmaker of sorts within our outdoor economy, linking resources, people, and ideas.
The office and the Outdoor Business Alliance project are an example of that matchmaking.
Connecting Resources, People, and Ideas
Marcus Shoffner from the Outdoor Inclusion Coalition noted the important connections made between community organizations like his and industry leaders like Gilson Snow who recognize the need and opportunity for workforce development.
Shoffner, whose organization works to deliver inclusive outdoor recreation to underserved communities, was helping Pittsburgh youth connect with skiing fun in the western Pennsylvania region.
Through the office, he connected with Nick Gilson at Gilson Snow, who arranged for a trip to tour the manufacturing facility.
“This connection is an example of the kind of work the office can lift up,” Shoffner said. “By recognizing that organizations who are creating greater access to recreation are a key factor in developing a future workforce, the office is showing it’s true power -- a visionary on how to move Pennsylvania’s outdoor economy into the future.”
Next Steps for the Office of Outdoor Recreation
As it celebrates its one-year anniversary, the office has welcomed new staff to its ranks -- a deputy director and an outreach and engagement manager -- to increase capacity to serve Pennsylvania’s outdoor economy and all that it encompasses.
The team will be focusing its year-two efforts on the Outdoor Business Alliance project; advancing an outdoor equity fund to expand participation in the outdoor economy by underrepresented communities; and helping communities activate the outdoors in their economic development strategies.
“It has been a hard-working, impactful year -- and we are just at the beginning,” said Reigner. “There has never been a time when outdoor recreation has had greater potential to deliver economic, community, health, and environmental benefits for all Pennsylvanians. Working with our partners and a spirit of innovation, inclusion, and optimism, the Office of Outdoor Recreation will solidify Pennsylvania’s place as a national leader in outdoor recreation.”