Virginia recently established an Office of Outdoor Recreation, drawing praise from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR). Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam unveiled the office at an event in Roanoke, Va., which was attended by ORR and its members, including the National Marine Manufacturers Association and RV Industry Association, as well as partner the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and local business Missile Baits.
Virginia joins Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wisconsin as states that have created Offices of Outdoor Recreation in the past few months. Fifteen states across the country now have either offices or task forces dedicated to growing the outdoor recreation economy, which is growing faster than the economy as a whole.
“The creation of the Office of Outdoor Recreation is a huge step forward for Virginia, one of my favorite states to recreate in,” said Jessica Wahl, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “Outdoor recreation in this state generates billions of dollars each year, creating jobs, supporting rural communities and promoting conservation. We thank the state of Virginia – including Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew Strickler and Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Economic Development Cassidy Rasnick – for their leadership in recognizing outdoor recreation’s importance and look forward to working with them to make sure residents and visitors alike have access to their public lands and waters for generations to come.”
“The RV industry applauds the creation of an Office of Outdoor Recreation in Virginia and the state’s commitment to prioritizing outdoor recreation,” said Jay Landers, RVIA’s VP of government affairs. “In addition to outdoor recreation as a whole, this office will support the nearly 400 RV businesses who create more than 7,000 jobs and pay $340 million in wages here in Virginia.”