Industries related to outdoor recreation in manufacturing, retail, and tourism employed over 150,000 people and added $14 billion to the gross domestic product in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Over the past five years, according to the DCNR, the outdoor manufacturing sector has grown by 25% and wages earned are 10% higher than those in other sectors. Pennsylvania recently joined a number of states focused on the connections between outdoor enjoyment, health, and the outdoor industry, and in January 2022, Nathan Reigner became the state’s first Director of Outdoor Recreation.
The coalition serves as the department’s primary advisory body whose task is to help the outdoor economy deliver by ensuring that every resident reaps the rewards that outdoor recreation brings. He said the group has been instrumental in setting the mission and strategic priorities for Pennsylvania’s Office of Outdoor Recreation, and “helping to ensure that uniting, growing, and strengthening Pennsylvania’s outdoor economy is a priority of Governor’s Shapiro administration.”