July Update - Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Industry Partnership

Director's Note
As July rolls in, I think cycling. A roll down Minnehaha Trail resembles Copenhagen at rush hour.  Just to the south, Iowa hosts Ragbrai, "the oldest, largest, and longest multi-day bicycle touring event in the world" and across the Atlantic the world's attention turns to 21 days in Europe as the Tour de France rolls across the landscape chasing a single rider with a yellow jersey (and MN's local angle to the TDF is that the only American winner, Greg LeMond, called MN home for nearly 30 years.)  

With bike races on the brain, I'm reminded of the parallels between cycling and our industry. Cycling is the only major professional team sport where winning requires BOTH competition and collaboration with your rivals. These too are the ingredients for success in the outdoor recreation industry.  

The recent Outdoor Industry Association participation report highlights a crucial reality: our industry must adapt to both a changing climate (as we experienced this past "false" winter and with the recent flash flooding across our state) and evolving consumer preferences. To thrive in this changing landscape, we need to harness the spirit of competition that drives innovation, while also embracing collaboration to tackle industry-wide challenges. 

This is where initiatives like the Outdoor Recreation Industry Partnership come into play. By fostering cooperation, we can collectively navigate the road ahead, ensuring our industry not only survives but flourishes. 

As we pedal forward, let's remember that our success, like a peloton facing a headwind, depends on our ability to work together while still pushing our individual limits. Here's to a summer of growth, adaptation, and shared progress in the great outdoors. See you on the (bike) trail! 

• Randolph Briley, Director, Outdoor Recreation Industry Partnership

ORIP Rolls Out New Podcast
We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new podcast, "Explore Minnesota More," hosted by Explore Minnesota Executive Director Lauren Bennett McGinty and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen. In each episode, we'll dive into the stories of the people, places, and businesses that make up Minnesota's thriving outdoor recreation industry ecosystem.

Our inaugural episode takes you on a journey to the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, a former mining region that has undergone a remarkable transformation into one of the world's premier mountain biking hotspots. Guests Aaron Hautala and Vern Lewis share their firsthand experiences and insights into the challenges and triumphs of Cuyuna's evolution, from the early efforts to create a state recreation area to the incredible impact of mountain biking and outdoor activities on the local economy.

Through this episode, you'll discover the power of community collaboration and the potential of outdoor recreation to revitalize a region. Whether you're an avid mountain biker, a paddling enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates the transformative power of outdoor recreation, this episode offers an inspiring look at how a community can turn natural resource challenges into sustainable opportunities.

Don't miss out on this exciting episode and the many more to come! Tune in to "Explore Minnesota More" to learn why Cuyuna should be your next must-visit destination for adventure and inspiration. Subscribe now and join us as we uncover the untold stories of Minnesota's great outdoors.

ORIP Attends Inaugural Outside Summit + Festival
In June, ORIP represented Minnesota at the inaugural Outside Summit and Festival in Denver, Colorado. The festival, held in Denver's Civic Center Park and the Denver Art Museum from June 1-2, 2024, attracted approximately 18,000 attendees. The event blended music, films, gear demos, panel discussions, and an outdoor industry trade show, aiming to become an annual must-attend gathering for consumers and outdoor industry insiders. Attendees praised the festival's diversity, affordability, and sustainability efforts. The Big Gear Show and (e)revolution electric bike showcase, held concurrently, saw increased consumer engagement but aimed for higher retailer involvement. Despite the festival's timing coinciding with the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail, organizers plan to keep the event in early June, with hopes of expanding partnerships and support from industry partners, state, and regional entities in the future.

The event lived up to it's billing by providing an opportunity for the outdoor industry, across the US, to convene, network and participate in professional development opportunities. ORIP's main goals for the event were two-fold; 1.) ascertain the benefit of significant Minnesota outdoor brand presence at future Festivals, and 2.) gather intel and ideas for developing a similar (though smaller) event in the Twin Cities. Our outdoor industry is equally as vibrant as that found in Colorado and an annual convening of this industry is currently lacking in our yearly calendar. Stay tuned!

Get Out MORE funding includes critical fixes at hatcheries, streams
Crystal Springs Hatchery in Winona County is showing its age. Concrete infrastructure built there in the 1930s is crumbling. Clay waterlines that bring 48-degree artesian spring water into the facility are cracked and could fail at any time, putting the hatchery's entire operation at risk. It's a precarious situation at a hatchery that is essential for raising trout and stocking fish across Minnesota.

The hatchery is also a success story in the making. Minnesota's once-in-a-generation Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) investments are providing $19 million for upgrades at Crystal Springs, including constructing a new hatchery building and replacing degraded raceways and waterlines.

"We're shining a light on how essential Get Out MORE funding is to maintain and create opportunities for anglers today and in the future," Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Sarah Strommen said. "Crystal Springs Hatchery is a great example of how this funding addresses a critical need to ensure another generation of Minnesotans enjoy quality angling opportunities."

This project included rerouting approximately 700 feet of altered stream channel to its former alignment, restoring stream banks and installing a series of rock riffle structures.

"Stream restorations like this one at Whitewater River, and also dam modification projects and culvert replacements, are a key piece of the Get Out MORE investments," Strommen said. "These projects will not only enhance aquatic habitat and recreational opportunities but will also make these areas more resilient to climate change."

These historic, one-time Get Out MORE investments total $149.9 million and center on five key areas:

• Enhancing fisheries and fishing infrastructure ($60 million).
• Enhancing access and welcoming new users to public lands and outdoor recreation facilities ($35.4 million).
• Modernizing boating access ($35 million).
• Restoring streams and modernizing water-related infrastructure to support outdoor recreation ($10 million).
• Modernizing camping and related infrastructure ($9.5 million).
• To learn more about how these investments will improve outdoor experiences in the state, go to the Get Out MORE webpage of the DNR website.
  
  

Outdoor Alliance Calls for Increased Funding as Visits to Public Lands Surge
Outdoor recreation on America's public lands has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past 15 years. However, funding for recreation programs at key federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has declined by over 20% during this same period, according to data from the Outdoor Alliance.

In response, a coalition of 34 outdoor recreation organizations and businesses, led by the Outdoor Alliance, is urging Congress to fully fund the recreation budgets for the USFS and BLM. Specifically, they are asking lawmakers to provide $100 million for BLM's Recreation Resources Management program and $70 million for the USFS' Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness program.

Outdoor recreation is a major economic driver, contributing $1.1 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2022. However, the persistent funding shortfalls are negatively impacting visitor experiences and leading to issues like trail erosion, trash buildup, and parking problems on public lands. The lack of agency capacity is even hindering volunteer trail maintenance efforts.

While recent legislation like the Great American Outdoors Act has provided some additional investment, the coalition emphasizes that this cannot substitute for adequate regular appropriations. Increasing funding for recreation programs at the USFS and BLM will help support continued economic benefits, improve recreational experiences, and provide a strong return for taxpayers.

New Report Quantifies Outdoor Recreation-Related Spending, Outlines Threats to Funding and Potential Solutions
In a very similar vein to the data highlighted above, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) has released a comprehensive report titled "Recreation Funding in America: Current Results and Future Insights," which analyzes current federal funding streams for outdoor recreation and identifies potential future threats to these funding sources. The report, conducted by Southwick Associates, Inc., highlights the pressing need for innovative solutions to ensure sustainable funding for the $1.1 trillion recreation economy and the millions of Americans and communities who rely on it.

Key findings from the report include:

1. An escalating funding gap in recreation funding that could widen to $34 billion by 2042.
2. Outdoor recreation contributes 2.2% to U.S. GDP but only receives 0.16% of federal funding.
3. Federal budgets for outdoor recreation must increase by 74% by 2042 to keep pace with projected inflation rates.
4. A significant portion of federal funding for outdoor recreation comes from non-general revenue sources, emphasizing the need for diversified and resilient funding mechanisms.
   
   

In response to the findings, ORR is proposing solutions such as increasing support for recreation in the federal budget, establishing a White House Commission on Outdoor Recreation, passing the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, initiatives to support new recreation participants, and new spending models to address growing funding challenges.

Jessica Wahl Turner, President of ORR, emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need for collaborative strategies to secure and enhance funding for outdoor recreation to ensure its long-term sustainability and the well-being of the communities that depend on it.

North Country Trail Association Celebrates New 2.5 Mile Segment
The North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT), which spans 4,800 miles across eight states, has a new 2.5-mile segment open to the public in Cohasset, Minnesota. Senator Tina Smith was on hand to cut the ribbon to the new segment, from Tioga Beach southwest to True Road. This segment is part of a larger project to build over 100 miles of new off-road NCT between Tioga Beach and State Highway 6 northeast of Remer. The trail construction follows the passage of 2019 legislation in Congress that authorized the NCT's "Arrowhead Re-route" in northeastern Minnesota.

Volunteers from the Arrowhead Chapter of the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) have been working on the project since 2021, after the National Park Service completed their necessary environmental compliance work. The construction efforts in 2023 included 11 weeks of work by a Conservation Corps of Minnesota & Iowa crew based in Grand Rapids, as well as many Chapter volunteer workdays.

The project was made possible through the collaboration of various partners, including the Itasca County Land Department, Itasca Trails Task Force, Minnesota DNR-Division of Forestry, UPM-Blandin, and three private landowners. The Itasca Trails Task Force's financial support was critical in making the project happen, as it was leveraged seven times by the Arrowhead Chapter.

Randolph Briley (he/him)  |  Deputy Director - Outdoor Recreation

121 7th Place East, Suite 360, St. Paul, MN 55101 
C: 320-319-6692
randolph.briley@state.mn.us  |  exploreminnesota.com | outdoorindustrypartnership.com