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 growth, and public health. America’s $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy supports more than 5 million jobs, strengthens rural and gateway communities, and improves the physical and mental health and well-being of people in every state.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the infrastructure, access, and partnerships needed to ensure our public lands and waters continue to deliver economic opportunity, healthy communities, and world-class outdoor experiences for the next 250 years,” said Jessica Turner, President of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “The MABA Commission meeting comes at a pivotal moment to get this right.”
In advance of the Make America Beautiful Again Commission meeting, ORR submitted detailed recommendations to the commission centered on growing a sustainable outdoor recreation economy that benefits all Americans. These recommendations emphasize:
- Reauthorizing and strengthening the Legacy Restoration Fund to modernize recreation infrastructure and accelerate high-value projects nationwide
- Fully implementing the bipartisan EXPLORE Act to expand access, innovation, and public-private partnerships
- Recognizing outdoor recreation as essential infrastructure for public health and community wellbeing
- Preserving access to public lands and waters in perpetuity as a high-return national investment
- Fully funding the Recreational Trails Program to support diverse trail users and rural economies
- Reducing regulatory headwinds and increasing certainty for outdoor recreation businesses
- Strengthening federal-state coordination, including State Offices of Outdoor Recreation
- Modernizing campgrounds, marinas, and boating infrastructure as gateways to rural vitality
ORR looks forward to working with the MABA Commission, federal agencies, Congress, states, and the outdoor business community to advance shared goals of access, infrastructure investments, and economic growth.
“By aligning policy and innovation and prioritizing outdoor recreation at the highest levels of government, the MABA Commission can help ensure outdoor recreation continues to inspire, employ, and strengthen communities across the country—today and for generations to come,” added Turner.
ORR’s full recommendations to the Make America Beautiful Again Commission, Growing the $1.2 Trillion Outdoor Recreation Economy: America 250 and Beyond, are available here.