Office of Outdoor Recreation
OVERVIEW U.C.A. 63N-9 The Office of Outdoor Recreation (OOR) is housed in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and embodies the state’s ongoing commitment to the recreation economy, its products and services. The Office of Outdoor Recreation works to promote Utah as the top state for the outdoor products and recreation industries and develops outdoor recreation as part of the state’s economy. OOR works diligently to ensure that outdoor recreation in Utah’s diverse and beautiful landscape continues to enhance the quality of life for generations to come. OOR endeavors to capitalize on the growth in the outdoor industry in a way that plays to Utah’s natural beauty and unique strengths. An Outdoor Industry Association study notes that for every dollar spent purchasing outdoor equipment, the user will spend four dollars creating an experience with the product. The office strives to bring more outdoor product industry companies to Utah, providing manufacturing, sales and distribution jobs to the state. On top of all of this, OOR showcases Utah as a world-class outdoor recreation destination, working with both rural and urban communities to build high quality recreation infrastructure.
FY 2015 Highlights: The Office of Outdoor Recreation held its second annual Outdoor Recreation Summit on March 3, 2015 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The summit provided a forum to actively discuss a number of issues surrounding Utah’s outdoor recreation and outdoor industry. The attendees enjoyed hearing from Governor Gary R. Herbert, Jerry Stritzke, CEO of REI, mountaineer Chris Warner, Stacy Bare, 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and many other world-class thought leaders and outdoor recreation advocates. Over five hundred people attended the summit which included not only the outdoor industry, but representatives from Utah’s counties, various communities, and user groups, as well as state and federal land management agencies. The Office of Outdoor Recreation formed the Waypoint Grant program, a pilot program which makes grant money available with a 50/50 match to communities around the state of Utah. The Waypoint Grant is to be used for the building of outdoor recreation infrastructure and the funding comes from the Industrial Assistance Fund (IAF). HB 129 made possible the additional recreation infrastructure development throughout the state via this program which will be administered by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Governor’s Office of Economic Development • 2015 Annual Report • www.business.utah.gov
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