From mountaintops to kayaks, the Pacific Northwest is heaven for outdoor enthusiasts. That bounty means there is no shortage of outdoor stories.This year, those stories ranged from the inspiring to the concerning. Stories published in The Spokesman-Review’s outdoor sections highlighted the brilliance of human adventure and dove into the politics and details of environmental policy, conservation and wildlife management. Below is a recap of some of the year’s most important stories starting with everyone’s favorite subject: recreation.

Hello to all Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition members! Thank you for your participation to-date in the Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition! In a short amount of time, your organization has had tremendous results and we are just getting started. As we look ahead to 2019, the Coalition’s priorities are in place and we are ready for the Legislature to get back in session on January 14. You can bet that our board members will be there throughout the intricacies of their budget process, popping our head up from time to time to remind them of our $20 billion sector.

Governor Inslee released his budget, which includes $115 million in funding for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP). His proposal is a huge step toward meeting the outdoor recreation and conservation needs of our growing state. The WWRP, funded through the capital construction budget, is the state’s premier grant program for habitat conservation and outdoor recreation opportunities. The program has played a significant role in our state’s landscape and quality of life, investing over $1.4 billion into state and local parks, trails, wildlife habitat, working lands, and other community priorities across the state.

In the context of this unprecedented opportunity and change, this report has three aims: One, to provide an update on the industry’s remarkable growth since the recession’s end. Two, to engage the industry in a dialogue that could lead to strategies and initiatives that could further strengthen its position. Three, to identify opportunities for public and private collaboration to leverage the state’s competitive advantage
as the global A&O hub.  See Report & learn more at www.aoportland.com

Did you know there are over 6000 state parks in America? That is just the state parks... not to mention the thousands of campgrounds and places to take your family on a relaxing vacation with all kinds of things to do, from fishing, to white water rafting or even the closest place to hunt wild game.  Just a little frustrated having to search for all kinds of things and not finding what you want?  Well, now you have a choice.  A true search engine for the recreation industry.  Do you want to spend 3 days searching all the search engines? or do you want to come to the search engine that is all about outdoor recreational activities. From the beauty of Mount Rainier in spectacular Washington State with its hiking trails, to Palo Doro in Texas, the second largest canyon in the country spanning 120 miles long and 800 feet deep to the Atlanta ocean and mountains of North Carolina, the back country of Moab Utah, or the beaches of Florida, WIKI Recreation will make it our goal to bring you the best information we can find.

The Teanaway Community Forest holds a special place for many outdoors enthusiasts in central Washington and throughout the state. Its popularity among many different interest groups created the need for a new management plan specifically geared towards recreation, one of five goals in 2015’s strategic management plan. Extensive research and outreach to various groups as well as an active community led the state’s Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to a proposed 15-year effort aimed at enhancing the 50,241 acres of state-owned forest and ensuring sustainability for years to come.

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration inducted Washington State Parks Director Don Hoch at the annual meeting of the National Recreation and Parks Association Conference in Indianapolis. “It’s very humbling and an honor to be included in this prestigious organization, which is dedicated to advancing the parks and recreation profession and mentoring up-and-coming park administrators,” Hoch said. “I look forward to working with members who have national and international reputations to promote a broader understanding of the importance of parks and recreation.”

Washington Initiative 1631 (I-1631), the Protect Washington Act, aims to transition the Washington economy to a renewable energy future that invests in and supports clean energy, the outdoors, and local communities and economies across the state by implementing a carbon fee on some of the state’s biggest polluters. It would invest directly in healthy forests and waters across the state as a means for carbon sequestration and to build resiliency in outdoor places to impacts of climate change like wildfires, flooding, and drought. The inclusion of I-1631 on the ballot this November follows a multi-year effort to implement a carbon fee in Washington state, which included a ballot initiative that failed in 2016 and OIA-supported legislation that did not progress this past session. I-1631 is the most united the effort has been in supporting a carbon fee measure and has the backing of a wide range of businesses, business groups, local communities and community groups, NGOs, nonprofits, and others.