With election returns in progress, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced it has developed information for elected officials to demonstrate how the outdoor recreation industry drives economic revitalization, job growth, and quality of life. ORR and its members, which include RVDA, RVIA, and ARVC, said they pledge to “work with Congress and with the executive branch to continue growth for this important sector of the economy.”
With the release of a white paper, ORR has outlined its priorities, which it said is intended to “help drive a national growth agenda and improve recreation opportunities for all Americans.”
Entitled “A Roadmap for a 21st Century Outdoor Recreation Economy,” the white paper used three key headings to outline ORR’s priorities. They include:
Improved recreational access drives rural communities
These priorities include re-establishing the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation to ensure efficiencies and coordination among federal land and water management authorities, creating a synchronized method for collecting visitor data from federal agencies to track how and where visitors are recreating, and working with State Offices of Outdoor Recreation to streamline access issues on state and federal lands and engage outdoor businesses on shared access outcomes.
Sound conservation policies sustain resilient recreation landscapes
“Recreation access to our lands and waters must be balanced by ensuring resource protection
and sustainable outdoor experiences for generations to come,” said the ORR. Priorities for this goal include:
- Creating a plan to mitigate climate change impacts on recreation assets and gateway communities that rely on robust outdoor recreation, and supporting quick recovery and restoration of these assets after a natural disaster.
- Investing in natural solutions that allow for recreation while providing buffers during severe storms.
Free and fair trade ignites American innovation
“The outdoor recreation industry, like most industries, relies on free and fair trade, global supply chains, and a stable business environment to remain competitive,” said the ORR. With this set of goals, the organization said its priorities include:
1. Removing tariffs on recreation products. “Tariffs make U.S. businesses less globally
competitive and increases the cost for consumers to recreate,” said the ORR.
2. Supporting multilateral trade deals that reduce non-tariff barriers and ensure regulatory cooperation while promoting “Made in America” products and workforce.