Together Outdoors

BREAKING: Outdoor recreation contributed $1.2 trillion (2.3% of GDP) and 5 million jobs (3.1% of all employment) to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.? ? New data in this year’s report also shows that the outdoor recreation economy has grown 36% in real terms since 2012. ? ? “The new BEA data highlights outdoor recreation as a cornerstone of our economy, generating jobs, supporting small businesses, and providing essential opportunities for Americans to engage with the outdoors for health, connection, and quality of life,” said Jessica (Wahl) Turner, President, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “This release should signal to policymakers and leaders across the country that investing in outdoor infrastructure and access must remain a national, bipartisan priority. We urge this Congress to take swift action to pass the EXPLORE Act, a widely supported package of bills that will help to ensure that all Americans have access to the outdoors and support the communities and businesses that rely on recreation economies." Read more about this year's release: https://lnkd.in/eD8S3rac

We're at the last stop on a long road for outdoor equity with The Great Malden Outdoors in 2024, helping kids learn to ride a bike, and this Saturday we're having a Kid's 1st Group Ride led by Bike to the Sea. Here's the full story, this Summer 175 kids learned to ride a bike for just $5 thanks to REI and the ADELAIDE BREED BAYRD FOUNDATION. Out of that 175, 62 kids said they did NOT own a bicycle. Shout out to REI's Paul Gannon Jr. who was able to work magic by providing demo bikes to be used in the classes but then it was all hands on deck to figure out a way to get bikes into the community and the community showed up BIG. Bike to the Sea gave away bikes they had refurbished and City of Malden's Facilities Team located discarded bikes the team was able to fix up. Idle Hands Craft Ales held two fundraisers, local business leader (and fantastic realtor) Kristin Gennetti - ABR, SRS, and part of the Together Outdoors's grant we won contributed funding to buy bikes. Special thanks to an article written by Boston Globe Media's Tiana W., a Malden High School Graduate, Mason Slaine reached out after reading it and made a large donation to provide the funding for the majority of the bikes we were able purchase. The result, all 62 kids who needed a bike, got a bike to keep! We've asked all families that when their child outgrows the bike, to return it back to Bike to the Sea so it can be given to another Malden family, and so on, and so on, so we can reduce the barrier to bike riding for kids in the city. Looking forward to getting on the trail with all these first time cyclists on Saturday! And this is the last stop for now but after giving out a bunch of these bikes, I had multiple parents tell me..."I don't know how to ride a bike" or "it's been so long, I'm afraid to get back on a bike." Sounds like we need an adults class for 2025! Oh and looking forward to bringing a workforce development aspect to this campaign next year, we want to create a path for a job in the industry. Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Outdoor Industry Association get at me! Full press release here: https://lnkd.in/e7qYvHaV Please check out: https://lnkd.in/e2JK94pG for more info. Thank you to all of our partners and much more to come this Fall!

NEW EQUITY GRANT PROGRAM: We're so proud to connect Together Outdoors with Maryland Department of Natural Resources to announce the recipients of the first-ever Maryland Outdoor Equity Grant Fund. ? The recipients are: ? - Defensores de la Cuenca, to contribute to a gear bank that increases access to outdoor recreation activities by Latine communities who are underrepresented in that field.? ? - Live Water Foundation, who will facilitate connections between veterans and paddleboarding and kayaking through the purchase of materials, and lay the foundation for vast community connections, increase knowledge around this recreational activity and provide learning opportunities around stewardship and sustainability.? ? - Mentoring Our Rising Entrepreneurs (MORE), to help 50–75 kids from Baltimore City and other neighborhoods receive the education and experience they need to set out on excursions, explore new things, and enjoy nature by purchasing new camping materials. ? - Young Successful Leaders (YSL),?to contribute to community garden initiatives to increase overall cleanliness and aesthetics, be a space for shared use and enjoyment, promote local agriculture and food self-sufficiency, and foster community engagement and a sense of ownership among residents. ? “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Maryland DNR to launch this important initiative and excited to watch the grantees’ efforts to help more people get access to the outdoors and flourish,” said Ambreen F. Tariq, Senior Program Director at Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Together Outdoors Coalition Lead. “This fund will not only support underrepresented communities in accessing and enjoying the outdoors but also create lasting connections to nature and foster stewardship among these groups.”

BREAKING: The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This monumental accomplishment—the first-ever recreation-specific package—is made possible by decades-long advocacy from so many from across the $1.1 trillion outdoor recreation economy. We look forward to supporting the consideration of this important package in the U.S. Senate.?

We were fortunate to host USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore this week as part of the Together Outdoors "Share the Air" event series, which brings people from all backgrounds together to build a more inclusive outdoors. ORR Senior Program Director Ambreen F. Tariq led the conversation about Chief Moore's connection to the outdoors and opportunities for the Forest Service to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion, and access across its National Forests before opening up to the audience for a fantastic Q&A. THOR Industries, Inc.