State Outdoor Recreation Offices

Attending Outdoor Retailer can often feel like one big industry party, a way for people who mostly think alike to hang out and talk about how much they think alike. Yes, it's a chance to attend seminars about the outdoor industry, learn about advances in technology, and network ...read more

After an extensive two-month search to replace Tom Adams, Gov. Herbert announced the new director of Utah’s Office of Outdoor Recreation: Patrick “Pitt” Grew. Grew spent his childhood in the mountains of Utah, skiing every weekend with his parents who both worked in the ski ...read more

With beaches, forests, plains, and mountains, Minnesota is a bountiful land for outdoor enthusiasts. And soon, a task force of 20 people will identify even more outdoor economic and participation opportunities around the state. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, ...read more

Tom Adams, who has held the post of director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation (UOOR) since 2016, is moving onto to the private sector. Adams will become Petzl North America’s COO. It will be familiar turf for him: He served as Petzl’s North American sales director for ...read more

October was a historic month for outdoor recreation. Directors of offices from Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia, and New Mexico joined eight other states in signing the Confluence Accords at the sixth annual Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit in St. George. The set of 12 principles ...read more

Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] Confluence Accords: The number of states that had signed a set of outdoor recreation principles increased from 8 to 13 this week. Leaders from Maine, Michigan, ...read more

New Mexico isn't just miles and miles of barren desert: There are plenty of outdoor adventures to be had. Axie Navas will tell you. It's now her job to promote the state's outdoor recreation opportunities and uplift its outdoor business as the first-ever director of the Office ...read more

New Hampshire followed in the footsteps of 15 other states by creating its own office of outdoor recreation, signed into legislation on Thursday by Gov. Chris Sununu. “New Hampshire’s low tax environment and booming economy are a beacon for business in the northeast,” Sununu said ...read more

North Carolina's Outdoor Recreation Industry Office has a new leader—and it was an obvious choice. Amy Allison steps into the role after working as marketing and PR manager at Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) and co-founding a coalition of outdoor brands based in Western North ...read more

New Mexico became the 13th state to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation in April, and on Monday, the first director started work. Veteran journalist Axie Navas will lead the state's efforts to create a booming outdoor recreation economy, along with the first-of-its-kind ...read more

Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is burning: The trees provide a significant amount of oxygen and therefore, the blaze could accelerate climate change, researchers say. ...read more

Almost four years ago, outdoor recreation directors from Utah, Washington, and Colorado met in a little Italian cafe in Salt Lake City, Utah, during Outdoor Retailer. Cailin O'Brien-Feeney, formerly of Outdoor Industry Association and now Oregon's director, was also there. At the ...read more

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam climbed into a kayak along the marshy shore of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve on Thursday. Wearing a "Virginia is for outdoor lovers" T-shirt, he spent part of his day paddling the lake, enjoying one of the places that will be protected by a new state ...read more

Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] Trend setters: The fashion industry is taking fashion tips from...the outdoor industry? It's weird to us too, but high fashion brands—like Fila's launch of 140 ...read more

The windswept beaches and cliffs of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The rolling hills of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. The quiet waters of a stretch of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The 47-run Cascade Mountain ski area. These places, along with many more, will ...read more

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office didn't have to look far to replace Luis Benitez, after he announced in March that he was leaving for VF Corporation. Nathan Fey has had his nose underneath the office's tent since its early days. He was a consultant, had a seat on ...read more

“California has the granite walls of Yosemite, we have the Sierra, Lake Tahoe, Big Sur, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, the Shasta-Cascade region, the Redwoods and our pristine coastline,” said Katie Hawkins, an advocate for outdoor recreation in the Golden State. So why is it taking ...read more

Six months have passed since Carolann Ouellette was hired to lead Maine's Office of Outdoor Recreation and based on the support from Gov. Janet Mills and other in decision-making roles, it sounds like she'll be around for much longer. Ouellette's post and office will soon be ...read more

The 12th state to create a government office dedicated to promoting the outdoor recreation economy, New Mexico lawmakers voted last night to establish an Outdoor Recreation Division—and the effort takes a different flavor in the Land of Enchantment. While rafting and biking have ...read more

Despite former California Governor Jerry Brown's kibosh of a bill to create an outdoor recreation office, an advocacy group is stepping up to see the legislation through under the new administration. Next Monday, California Outdoor Recreation Partnership (CORP) will lead an ...read more

1. Mental Health in the Outdoors 10 to 11 a.m. at The Camp, Booth #32005-UL: Mental health affects one out of four people in the U.S. What does this look like in the outdoor industry? How does playing outside affect our lives and/or create a place of healing. Join this panel ...read more

Maine is getting closer to leveraging its billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy through an official state office. Today, the state's Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in a news alert announced the welcoming of Carolann Ouellette as director of the "newly ...read more

California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill yesterday that would have created the Office of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation, despite overwhelming bipartisan support. His signing of AB 1918 would have made California the 12th state with an official office or task force to ...read more

Beaches, mountains, desert, plains, forests—California has it all and is well-known as a western playground for all types of adventure. Yesterday, the legislature recognized the need to protect and promote the state's precious land. They unanimously passed a bill to create the ...read more