It's time for Tennessee to have an Office of Outdoor Recreation. In the state, outdoor rec generates $21.6B in consumer spending annually, supporting 188,000 jobs, producing $65.B in wages and $1.4B in state and local tax revenue. It's time to give this often-overlooked industry a seat at the table for policy at the state level.

1. TENNESSEE OFFICE OF
OUTDOOR RECREATION

2. AGENDA
• Background & statistics
• What is an office of outdoor recreation?
• Why now?
• What’s next?

3. BACKGROUND
& STATISTICS

5. IN TENNESSEE, OUTDOOR
RECREATION GENERATES:
• $21.6B in Consumer
Spending Annually
• 188,000 Direct Jobs
• $6.5B in Wages & Salaries
• $1.4B in State & Local Tax
Revenue
Source: Outdoor Industry Association’s Outdoor Recreation Economy Report, 2017

6. In Tennessee, more jobs depend on outdoor
recreation than auto manufacturing.
(126,000 vs. 188,000)
0
47500
95000
142500
190000
237500
Auto Manufacturing Outdoor Recreation

7. 59% of Tennesseans participate in outdoor
recreation each year
Recreate
Outdoors
59%
41%

8. WHAT IS AN OFFICE OF
OUTDOOR RECREATION?

9. – Marc Berejka, Director of Government and Community affairs for REI
“[The position] gives the array of stakeholders
in the outdoor community an opportunity to
work with a single point person at high levels
of government in order to raise awareness of
the importance of outdoor recreation to
Washingtonians, to our quality of life and to
our economy, ”

10. 5 STATES HAVE SOME FORM OF
OUTDOOR REC OFFICE TODAY

11. EXISTING OFFICE PROFILES
Who What Where When How
CO Luis Benitez
Outdoor Recreation
Industry Office
OEDIT:
Office of Economic
Development &
International Trade
2015
Announced by Governor &
OEDIT — No legislation
NC Open
Outdoor Recreation
Recruitment Director
Commerce Department
2017 (funded for
2018-19)
Legislation
UT Tom Adams
Office of Outdoor
Recreation
Office of Economic
Development 2013
Announced by Governor,
then legislation
VT Michael Snyder
VOREC: VT Outdoor
Recreation Economic
Collaborative
15-member task force,
chaired by Commissioner
of Forests, Parks and
Recreation (FPR)
2017 Governor’s executive order
WA Jon Snyder
Senior Policy Advisor,
Outdoor Recreation &
Economic Development
Office of the Governor 2015 Legislation

12. KEY FUNCTIONS
• Recruit & retain outdoor-related businesses
• Improve workforce development & academic support
• Grow outdoor participation, especially among under-
represented groups
• Secure & maintain access to outdoor amenities
• Advocate for recreational use of public lands
• Serve as executive-level policy advisor

13. WHY NOW?

14. THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY
FOUND ITS VOICE
• Outdoor rec. economic data will become part of GDP (Outdoor REC Act, 2016)
• Public lands are under attack nationwide
• Outdoor Retailer pulled out of Utah and moved to Colorado on public lands issue (2017)
• Bicameral, bipartisan Outdoor Recreation Caucus created (April 2017)
• LWCF needs to be re-authorized and funded (temporary extension expires Sept. 2018)
• Recreation Not Red Tape Act (RNR Act)
• Expedites permits for recreation guides
• Gets more veterans, seniors & kids outdoors
• Holds agencies accountable for recreation
• Maintains public lands
• Senators Corker & Alexander re-introduced TN Wilderness Act for 5th time (April 2017)
• High tariffs on outdoor recreation gear (US OUTDOOR Act)

15. 41% of Tennesseans don’t participate in outdoor
recreation each year
59%
Don't Recreate
Outdoors, 41%

16. Source: Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The State of Obesity 2016 [PDF]. Washington, D.C.: 2016.
Adult obesity rate in Tennessee

17. WHAT’S NEXT?

18. NEXT STEPS & QUESTIONS
• Secure initial seed funding in order to
• Hire staff, create action plan and make business case for TN office (here in
Chattanooga)
• Hire a lobbyist to begin groundwork in Nashville
• Where could we house a Big Tent Coalition?
• Would Governor Haslam support this effort?
• Need to answer our own “6 W’s”

19. FIND A WINNING STRATEGY
Who What Where When How
TN ?
Outdoor
Recreation
Industry Office
Tourism?
Commerce?
2018
Announced by
Governor?
Legislation?

20. MARK MCKNIGHT
MCKNIGHTMARKETING@GMAIL.COM
423-596-1573