NEWS RELEASES
Efforts To Establish Minnesota Office Of Outdoor Recreation Fail
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The Outdoor Industry Association's website.
The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) reports that despite a push to establish an office of outdoor recreation (OREC) in Minnesota this spring, the bill hit a dead end in the state legislature and was not included in the final state budget for 2019. The OREC would have been part of the state’s tourism department in support of the state’s $16.7 billion outdoor recreation economy. A primary focus of this bill was to provide access to the outdoors for all Minnesotans, particularly for minorities who live in urban environments.
“Truth be told, 90 percent of the dollars spent on outdoor recreation infrastructure are spent by state and local government,” Mark Berejka, REI’s director of government and community affairs, said. “So, it’s imperative that anybody who wants to sustain, who wants to expand access to outdoor places, work at all levels of government. Particularly, that we work at the state and local level.” Utah established the first OREC in 2013 and so far 13 other states have followed suit. Minnesota outdoor advocates say they will try again in 2020.
Additional information on the state’s outdoor recreation can be found on the Explore Minnesota website.
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