The lakes, mountains, and forests in the Pacific Northwest don’t just make it a beautiful place to live, they also encourage Washingtonians to spend an average of 56 days per year engaged in outdoor activities. This directly leads to: $26.6 billion in annual spending in the state’s outdoor recreation industry; 201,000 direct jobs; $2.3 billion in state and local tax revenue. The industry is changing nationally as age demographics shift, people move into more urban areas, and technology continues to change the way we live and track our health.  Retailers must consider sustainability, inclusivity, and gear rental as consumer needs continue to shift. Join our panel of local executives and experts as they discuss how their business is keeping up in a changing market and what opportunities they see ahead for the outdoor recreation industry.

OLYMPIA, WA – As part of No Child Left Inside Day, organized by the No Child Left Inside Coalition, more than 25 young people who benefited from outdoor education experiences under Washington’s No Child Left Inside (NCLI) grant program will join state officials and legislators at the State Capitol in Olympia on Monday, February 17 to share their stories and educate policymakers about the impact of the state’s signature outdoor education grant program. 

AdventureELEVATE is the ATTA’s annual North America-based intensive educational and networking conference that brings together the adventure travel community to share the insights, information and inspiration that shape our dynamic industry year-round.

Every county in Washington State benefits from walkers, runners, bikers, and backpackers using our beautiful trail systems. Ninety percent of Washington residents participate in non-motorized recreation annually. These two companion studies look at the economic, environmental, social, and health benefits of trails. Learn more

Enjoy this monthly round-up of interesting WA state outdoor recreation news provided compliments of Jon Snyder, Outdoor Recreation and Economic Development, Senior Policy Advisor to Gov. Jay Inslee. 

Did you know that the outdoor recreation economy is larger than agricultural economy in the United States? It’s true. Just as importantly, outdoor recreation provides countless health, environmental and society benefits that are not as easy to measure. But wait, it gets better. As you know, the outdoor recreation voice is not a lone one in the woods. Thanks to a core group of volunteers with a shared vision and the support of REI, the collective outdoor recreation advocates are organized under the formal IRS structure and ar  shouting from the rooftops that outdoor fun is good for the mind, body, soul and wallet for the Evergreen State. Please take a look at this newsletter and think about getting more involved. (By “getting more involved”, I mean anything from writing a letter to the editor on behalf of the outdoors, to joining us for our advocacy day to something creative that’s on your mind. The skies the limit).

The inherent risks of navigating wild landscapes — trying to traverse avalanche terrain in the mountains, for instance — can be reduced when a group of adventurers works together to solve the problem. It’s an increasingly popular tactic used to hone backcountry decision-making in dicey situations: Come together, listen to every voice and find a solution that works for everyone. The all-together concept aids outdoor explorers on the micro level, but it appears to also be emerging on a macro level, with the outdoor recreation industry asserting newfound power as an economic, political and cultural force. It helps that outdoor recreation — including hiking, camping, hunting, boating and climbing — has considerable industrial clout, accounting for $427.2 billion, or 2.2%, of U.S. gross domestic product in 2017.

The Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition will take a position of support for legislative policy or funding proposals when there is consensus at the board level that the priority aligns with the mission and strategic goals of the Big Tent Coalition. The Coalition does not endorse candidates for elected or appointed office. To request an endorsement or action from the Big Tent on a relevant public policy issue, please submit the online form with any relevant attachments.