Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through SNEWS' website.
PORTLAND, Maine - Prominent members of the outdoor recreation industry from Maine’s non-profit, private and public sectors participated in a forum titled, Celebrating and Cultivating Maine’s Outdoor Recreation Economy, to discuss the importance of the outdoor economy to the state and its future. Governor Janet Mills spoke about the state’s commitment to furthering the outdoor economy, the recent signing of the Outdoor Recreation Industry Confluence Accords and the establishment of the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the state. “By joining this partnership of states, Maine will continue to build on its strong outdoor recreation tradition to attract new businesses, encourage healthy lifestyles, create jobs and strengthen our rural economy,” Mills told the forum.
Maine is the second state in New England, along with Vermont, to sign the Confluence Accords, joining 12 other states in the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) initiative. The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that Maine’s outdoor recreation industry makes up a larger percentage of the state’s economy than most others, ranking third behind Hawaii and Montana. More than 40 thousand jobs in Maine, 6.4% of employment, are in outdoor recreation while the manufacturing of outdoor recreation goods has increased 47% in the last five years, contributing $328 million to Maine’s economy in 2017.
For more information, visit Maine’s Office of Outdoor Recreation website.