The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced the appointment of Jason Curry, director of the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, to its board of directors, the first time that a director of a state office of outdoor recreation and member of the Confluence of States will serve on the board.
Jessica Wahl Turner, president of ORR, stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Jason to ORR’s board. His expertise and leadership will be especially valuable because Utah was the first state to create a state office of outdoor recreation in 2013 and now they are the first to have a seat on our board. Throughout this past year our ‘25 in 2025’ campaign has united governors and industry partners to showcase the impact of the 24 states who have created offices of outdoor recreation and encourage a 25th state to solidify their role in ensuring the growth and sustainability of state recreation economies. The board’s decision to specifically designate a seat for a state leader will undoubtedly bolster our mission to promote the growth and success of the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy nationwide.”
Jason Curry is the director of the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation. A graduate of the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in economics, he has worked in natural resources for 26 years, including a variety of roles in recreation, land management, law enforcement, wildfire and public relations. Curry previously served as vice commander and training officer for the Davis County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, and worked many years on incident management teams throughout the U.S. During his time in the Division of Outdoor Recreation, Curry has been a relentless advocate for the physical and mental health benefits of playing in nature. Growing up and raising a family in the West, he is an avid mountain biker, backcountry and alpine skier, climber, sailor and backpacker.
“I’m enthusiastic about joining the ORR board and especially pleased to be the first state office leader to serve in the role,” Curry stated. “I intend to help bring greater clarity and alignment between ORR and our state organizations, which are only growing in number and influence. I look forward to representing the collective voice of all state divisions/offices of outdoor recreation and sharing with the ORR team state’s perspectives on outdoor recreation issues including public lands stewardship, outdoor workforce, public health, increased community participation, and trade/tariff issues.”
The Confluence of States, of which Utah is an original member, is a bipartisan network of state leaders advancing our outdoor economy through a collective voice, guided by five pillars: Conservation and Stewardship, Education and Workforce Training, Economic Development, Public Health and Wellness, and Opportunity & Experience.
In February of this year, ORR, along with the Confluence of States and over 110 leading outdoor recreation organizations from across the United States, launched the ‘25 in 2025’ campaign with a challenge to states to create the 25th office of outdoor recreation in this calendar year, following 24 other states who have created such offices since 2013. Since then, the campaign has featured videos of bipartisan governors nationwide emphasizing the importance of the recreation economy and highlighted the accomplishments and importance of existing offices of outdoor recreation, along with a new resource for state-level advocates, “How to Create a State Office of Outdoor Recreation.” ORR and its members said they eagerly anticipate celebrating establishment of the 25th state office.
