Rural Development

Outdoor recreation has a well-understood role in economic development, improved public health for all, and connected communities. Rural towns and regions across the United States have recognized outdoor recreation’s role in economic diversification and resilience and are seeking to invest in outdoor amenity development that benefits locals and visitors alike. However, many of these communities may not know where to start, need further technical assistance, or require catalytic funding to get their plans off the ground. ORR helps rural communities build sustainable and thriving recreation economies. through its Rural Economic Development Toolkit, Implementation Grants, and other partnerships with rural practitioners around the country. ORR also helped designate millions of new funding from the Economic Development Administration to go towards recreation infrastructure and support economies around the United States.