Our great outdoors is a great big deal. We all use it, we love it, and want to have more of it. That is why ABCD Corporation, and our First Frontier community is pleased to be a part of this major outdoor recreation initiative. As a member of the Recreation Engagement Coalition, ABCD is working with state outdoor leadership to make sure we celebrate and enjoy more of the great outdoors – trails, skiing, hiking, water access, cycling – for all four seasons. Stay tuned as this coalition helps to revamp efforts to remind everyone that between our two major cities, there is a ton of mountain fun to be had… Read on…
Release as posted on StartUp Alleghenies 9/19/22:
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Pennsylvania Director of Outdoor Recreation Nathan Reigner joined Wolf administration officials and a new Recreation Engagement Coalition (REC) to kick off discussions on growing Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation sector.
“DCNR has made strategic accomplishments in the first seven years of the Wolf Administration and is intent on building upon that progress in 2022 and beyond,” Dunn said. “We have seen a tremendous interest in outdoor recreation over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic as people have grown to appreciate the role it plays not just for our health and wellbeing, but also for our commonwealth’s economy. At the core of our priorities is ensuring outdoor recreation benefits all Pennsylvanians. I am eager to work with this advisory coalition to outline priorities for the outdoor recreation sector over the course of the coming year.”
Wednesday’s event at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence convened the REC, which is a part of DCNR’s efforts for Growing Outdoor Recreation for Pennsylvania (GORP) will be primary advisers helping to build the commonwealth’s Office of Outdoor Recreation. Outdoor recreation adds $12 billion in value to Pennsylvania’s economy and 150,000 full-time jobs, accounting for approximately 1.5% of the commonwealth’s GDP.
In a previous interview, Reigner spoke to the benefits of growing outdoor recreation with the Alleghenies and the rest of the state. “As quality of life increases, populations grow and unemployment declines,” he said. “Quality of life is going to be the driver of development and vitality in small and medium- sized rural and industrial Pennsylvania towns, and quality of life is a product of outdoor recreation, historic preservation of our downtowns and the availability of cultural services, which are breweries, interesting restaurants, art and music festivals.”
A list of REC members is available online (PDF). The coalition includes members from across Pennsylvania with local, regional and statewide influence and expertise in the outdoor recreation sector representing multiple disciplines.
