Lake Tahoe site visit and roundtable highlight Barton Health’s community wellness partnerships and explore opportunities to strengthen connections between public lands, recreation, and well-being.
Photos & B-Roll: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD8y1G
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (Oct. 29, 2026) – Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations and businesses, convened a high impact gathering to help chart pathways for establishing outdoor recreation access as a public health solution across the United States. The two-day site visit and roundtable drew on the region’s extensive public lands and outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as experiences from local partnerships, including wellness programs between Barton Health, a nonprofit community health system in the Lake Tahoe basin, and the U.S. Forest Service. Participants included high-ranking federal officials from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, executives from health systems, health providers, outdoor recreation businesses, public land managers, and policymakers.
The gathering took place on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, where participants explored how access to public lands and outdoor recreation can support community well-being. Attendees learned about the importance of the outdoors, movement and nutrition in overall health, highlighting the partnership between Barton Health and the U.S. Forest Service that includes wellness outings and programs for specific patient populations. Discussions also offered practical examples of how health organizations and public land agencies can work together to support healthy lifestyles and outdoor engagement.
The event builds directly on ORR’s initiative, America’s Outdoor Era, a bold vision to reposition outdoor recreation as a cornerstone of U.S. health infrastructure and treatment by aligning national policy, private investments, and healthcare partnerships to take on chronic illness, mental health challenges, and rising healthcare costs.
Through nature walks on local public lands, site visits to Barton Health facilities, and policy-focused discussions, leaders examined the science behind nature-based health interventions, insurance reimbursement pathways for outdoor preventative care, and existing federal and state levers to scale whole-person health programs throughout our land and water management agencies.
“To tackle today’s complex health challenges, we must rethink how and where care happens. The experiences shared from Lake Tahoe offer a blueprint for the rest of the nation that can be repeated at scale in rural communities across the country,” said Jessica Turner, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable President.
“We are building a future where healthcare providers and land management agencies at the state and federal level partner to address the biggest healthcare issues of our time. ORR is proud to lead this national movement to position outdoor access not only as a driver of our economy and recreation, but as essential for Americans’ health and well-being,” said Whitney Potter, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Senior Vice President.
“At Barton Health, we recognize the important role our natural surroundings play in the lives of the communities we serve. Lake Tahoe’s outdoor environment is an integral part of our region, and collaborations, including our work with the U.S. Forest Service, reflect a shared interest in encouraging healthy lifestyles and connecting people with the outdoors. We’re pleased to be part of this broader conversation about the relationship between outdoor recreation and health,” said Barton Health President and CEO Dr. Clint Purvance.
“Studies increasingly show that outdoor recreation can improve physical and mental health,” said Christy LaCurelle, Vice Chair of ORR’s Board of Directors and President and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. “Talk to anyone who visits a park, forest, or designated riding area on a motorcycle, ATV, or side-by-side and they’ll tell you how therapeutic it is. We’re excited to see greater collaboration among healthcare professionals, outdoor recreation industries, and public land managers to strengthen the well-being of Americans across the country.”
The Lake Tahoe event featured key discussions with senior leaders across federal agencies and health systems, including U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce, and a video message from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brian Christine. Senior staff from the offices of U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) were also in attendance.
Leaders tackled key operational challenges, including cost-share agreements, liability frameworks, provider training incentives, and establishing standard metrics to track wellness outcomes.
“Modern research helps us understand aspects of the relationship between the outdoors and health,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine, MD. “Public policy can help more Americans experience it. Let us care for our public lands with their contribution to human health in view. Let us equip healthcare providers to connect patients with those places. And let us give families practical opportunities to make the outdoors part of daily life. In doing so, we can help restore something essential: the opportunity to live healthier—and more fully human—lives.”
“Outdoor recreation stewardship strengthens our connection to the land, supports rural economies, and builds strong community partnerships, like our collaboration with the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “With 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands welcoming nearly 164 million visits each year, we are committed to ensuring these special places are actively managed so they remain safe, accessible, and, above all, enjoyable for everyone who visits.”
“Public lands offer Americans places to be active, spend time with others, and support their health and wellness,” said U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce. “Through All Americans Outside, the BLM is committed to expanding partnerships like the one here in Lake Tahoe across the 245 million acres we manage, so people of all abilities can explore, learn, serve, and work on their public lands. We look forward to working with ORR, health systems, and local communities to make time outdoors a bigger part of how Americans stay healthy.”
About Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations representing the $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy and its 5 million jobs. ORR promotes and educates on balanced policies that conserve public lands and waterways and enhance infrastructure to improve the experience and quality of life of outdoor enthusiasts everywhere.
About Barton Health
Barton Health is a non-profit, community health system providing comprehensive medical care to residents and visitors of the Lake Tahoe region. Dedicated to improving community health and well-being, Barton supports the active, mountain lifestyle which the region is known for, and offers a wide network of healthcare services, including hospital care, primary care clinics, and specialized centers such as the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness.
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