The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), in partnership with The VF Foundation, announced four communities that will receive funding this year to implement economic revitalization plans using outdoor recreation projects.
The selected communities are Fryeburg, Maine; Grants, New Mexico; Jasper, Alabama and John Day, Oregon. Each area will receive funding in addition to technical assistance support received through the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities assistance program, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agricultural Forest Service (USFS) and the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC).
“Opening the door to new and expanded recreation opportunities through locally led programming will help our rural communities build back better during this difficult time,” stated Gloria Schoch, director of The VF Foundation and Global Impact. “We’re honored to collaborate with like-minded stakeholders to provide more rural communities with the necessary resources to help grow their economies and improve quality of life through greater access to the outdoors.”
ORR said the four selected communities stood out for their connection to rural economic development, a core focus for the outdoor recreation industry, particularly as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. ORR and the industry are focusing attention on rural communities that want to plan sustainable outdoor recreation as an economic growth engine through community-based plans.
“ORR and the outdoor recreation industry are proud to award these four communities grants that will put their recreation plans in action,” ORR Executive Director Jessica Turner stated. “We believe they are well-positioned to leverage these funds to grow jobs, attract and retain businesses and support their communities for years to come. As more rural communities bolster their economies through outdoor recreation it will help rural America and the entire nation rebound from the pandemic and become more resilient in future economic and health crises.
“Additionally, three of the four communities (in New Mexico, Oregon and Maine) will be supported by their state offices of outdoor recreation, positions ORR and our members wish to see created in all states to help with efforts to build outdoor recreation economies across the country,” Turner stated.
With the grant’s support, the four communities will work over the coming months to implement rural development plans and receive support from across the industry, ORR stated. The organization stated its plan to continue its partnership with the agencies to support more communities in 2021.
