Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) leaders recently met with U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Steven Censky to discuss the essential role played by the Department – notably the USDA Forest Service – in providing diverse and high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities and growing the outdoor recreation economy, especially in rural communities.
The recreation industry representatives discussed increasing the use of public-private partnerships to support outdoor recreation, including the modernizing and expanding of recreation facilities, improving trails and expanding connectivity. The leaders noted these efforts would help advance Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s pursuit of rural prosperity.
Censky noted the Department’s role as “lucky trustees of some of the most special places in the country.”
He and other senior USDA officials including Acting Deputy Under Secretary Daniel J. Jiron cheered the role of partnerships including with recreation businesses and clubs and called for the modernization of national forest campgrounds.
Phil Ingrassia of the RV Dealers Association noted the department’s receptivity to new recreation opportunities including e-bikes and applauded actions in the Mendocino National Forest to avoid recreation closures due to budget problems by inviting an innovative partnership with the private sector.
