Last month, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced 11 grants totaling $80,000 through its Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Grant Program, with support from the LOR Foundation, The VF Foundation, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The grants fund locally led projects that connect outdoor recreation and community health in rural places. Here is what…
Awards support adaptive paddling for veterans and older adults, a bike fleet serving rural New Mexico youth, accessible trail construction, and more — advancing ORR’s America’s Outdoor Era initiative. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sept. 24 — Today, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced the first recipients of its two new Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Grant…
When Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast in the fall of 2024, it tested the networks, infrastructure, and community relationships that outdoor recreation advocates had spent years building to sustain local recreation economies. In response, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable awarded Hurricane Helene Recovery and Resilience grants in 2025 to communities across the Southeast to help restore…
New grant opportunities will direct funding to Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) community participants and rural Mountain West communities to turn outdoor recreation plans into local health, access, and community impact Washington, D.C. — June 17, 2026— Today, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations, announced two new grant…
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) convened its Business Council and association members in Washington, D.C. this week for a high-impact fly-in, bringing together leaders from across the industry to engage directly with Congress, federal agencies, and senior White House officials. The message was clear and consistent throughout: this is a defining moment for America’s outdoor recreation economy. A $1.3 Trillion…
Growth slows as economic headwinds challenge outdoor recreation industry WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) today released new annual economic data highlighting the continued strength and significant economic impact of outdoor recreation in 2024. According to the new BEA Outdoor Recreation Economic Statistics, nominal gross output for outdoor recreation totaled $1.3 trillion in 2024, marking slower but still increasing growth and…
Washington, D.C. — Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) welcomes today’s meeting of the Make America Beautiful Again (MABA) Commission and its focus on expanding access to public lands and waters and growing America’s outdoor recreation economy. As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, outdoor recreation offers a powerful opportunity to unite conservation, economic…