ORR meets cabinet-level officials to discuss impact of outdoor recreation

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) concluded its Summer Board Meeting with a series of first-time meetings with cabinet-level agency staff in Washington, DC earlier this month.

Among the firsts, meetings with several agencies within the US Department of Labor (DOL) to discuss workforce development needs. ORR plans to rollout a series of strategies to recruit and train the next generation of outdoor recreation employees through partnerships with conservation service corps and local workforce investment programs as well as developing programs with colleges and universities to “ensure the industry is ready to meet the needs and opportunities of the evolving technologies and consumer preferences in outdoor recreation,” according to a statement by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), which is part of the ORR.

In another first-of-its-kind, two-hour roundtable with US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Forest Service (USFS), ORR discussed strategies to expand public/private partnerships in rural communities that can help local businesses connect with technical assistance provided by the federal agencies in those communities.

Participants also discussed the future of outdoor recreation with USFS Chief Vicki Christiansen to ensure the impact of wildfires on outdoor recreation and gateway communities has visibility at the highest federal levels.

Finally, The Roundtable met with staff from the US Trade Representative’s office to reiterate the negative impact tariffs are having on the entire recreation economy.

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable also elected its incoming Executive Committee, which begins a two-year term on 1 October.