PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), in collaboration with the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship and the Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation, announced its upcoming National Leadership Forum on Rural Development through Outdoor Recreation with the support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. This invite-only event will take place on October 1 and 2 in Pittsburgh, PA, gathering over 50 national presidents, CEOs and other leaders in economic development, outdoor recreation, and conservation.
Emmy-nominated, renowned storyteller, and New York Times bestselling author Baratunde Thurston will keynote the event. He is the host of the PBS television series America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston that explores the diverse array of regions across the U.S. and how those landscapes shape the way Americans work, play and interact with the outdoors.
Chris Perkins, ORR’s Vice President of Programs, emphasized the significance of the event and rural economic development to the industry: “Outdoor recreation has proven time and again to be a catalyst for economic growth and community resilience, particularly in rural areas. This forum is not just about sharing insights but about forging partnerships that will lead to lasting, positive change in rural communities across the country. Our ongoing work, including the rural implementation grants funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, is a testament to the transformative power of outdoor recreation in every corner of the country.”
At the forum, leaders will discuss the critical role of outdoor recreation in rural economic development and resiliency, community identity, jobs, and resilience. Key topics to be covered include the economic impacts of outdoor recreation, connecting recreation and public health, generating community buy-in, maintaining local wealth and affordability, building housing for all, and funding recreation infrastructure.
The event will include two days of comprehensive programming, including a field visit to Johnstown, PA, where participants will observe economic development efforts firsthand and meet with local leaders.
This event is a continuation of ORR’s long-standing commitment to rural outdoor recreation economic development, exemplified by the ORR Rural Economic Development Toolkit and the third cycle of its rural implementation grant opportunity as well as ORR’s ability to convene key stakeholders for national thought-leadership conversations coming out of May’s National Outdoor Recreation Executive Forum. These grants, funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, provide essential support for rural communities looking to enhance their local economies and build resilience through outdoor recreation.
About ORR
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations representing the more than 110,000 outdoor businesses in the recreation economy and the full spectrum of outdoor-related activities. The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that outdoor recreation generated $1.1 trillion and 5 million American jobs in 2022, comprising 2.2% of the nation’s economy and 3.2% of all employees in the country.
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