Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) celebrated the announcement by Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation.
“The announcement at the Governor’s Conservation Summit at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville marks the 23rd State Office of Outdoor Recreation across the United States and marks an exclamation point on multiple years of convening by the Tennessee Outdoor Partnership, an interagency partnership dedicated to supporting and sustaining Tennessee’s recreation heritage and high-quality recreation opportunities on land and in water across the Volunteer State,” ORR said.
Outdoor recreation generates $11.9 billion for Tennessee’s economy, is 2.4% of its GDP and creates 109,657 jobs, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Tennessee’s announcement highlighted that the new office, led by Brian Clifford, will help unify stakeholders, multiply efforts to improve conservation and access to Tennessee’s great outdoors, and leverage Tennessee’s unique outdoor industry and economy for the benefit of all Tennesseans. A new website to accompany the office outlines its vision and goals.
“Governor Lee and the agency leads from the Tennessee Outdoor Partnership who helped generate today’s announcement are showing the nation what the $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation economy means for states and communities,” said Jessica Wahl Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “The new office will take Tennessee’s $11.9 billion outdoor recreation economy to the next level and help promote strong relationships between agencies and with communities of all sizes to connect Tennessee’s residents to the great outdoors. We can’t wait to support their future work and watch the economic, health, and community benefits this new office will create.”
“This office will help us leverage Tennessee’s unparallelled natural resources and beauty to improve our quality of life and create lasting memories for Tennessee families and visitors,” said Gov. Lee in the release announcing the new office.
“On behalf of the Confluence of States, I am thrilled to congratulate Tennessee on the establishment of their Office of Outdoor Recreation,” said Katherine Andrews, chair of the Confluence of States and director of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation. “Tennessee’s commitment marks an important milestone, joining nearly half of states across America that recognize the critical role outdoor recreation plays in our communities and economies. The gap in the middle of the country is beginning to fill up and we are seeing more momentum in coverage of the entire U.S. with support from a state level. This new office will serve as a resource, partner, and leader working across state government and communities to support the outdoor recreation economy in Tennessee. I look forward to working hand in hand with our neighbor and moving our collective work forward.”
ORR supports state directors and state offices of outdoor recreation and helps create new offices of outdoor recreation through access to data, resources, and communications tools for recreation leaders across the country. More information on ORR’s state outdoor recreation programmatic priorities can be found on their website.