“The symposium was a powerful reminder that we’re not alone in facing challenges and seizing opportunities here in New Hampshire and throughout the Northern Forest.”

– Janel Lawton, Director, State of NH Outdoor Recreation Industry Development 

“Our community has had a 20-year goal of expanding outdoor recreation and our tourist economy, but little has actually been accomplished in this area. This conference was amazing in helping me understand how we can organize a strategic planning team, what players need to be at the table, where we can find support and guidance, and how we can develop an actionable “long game” that will really build that sustainable economy that we seek. We can’t wait to see the playbook, but we’re getting started right away!”

– Donna Wotton, Executive Director, Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance 

Capitalizing on Opportunity

Leaders from across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York spent two high-energy days together to build regional strategies that can amplify the community, economic, and health benefits delivered by the growing Outdoor Recreation sector.   

The Northern Forest Outdoor Recreation Symposium on May 14-15 brought together 180 non-profit leaders, business owners, staff from communities and state and federal agencies, and others engaged in providing recreation opportunities. Participants networked, shared their expertise, and identified opportunities for regional collaboration to advance outdoor recreation in rural communities across the Northern Forest.  

The Northern Forest Center and Northern Border Regional Commission hosted the event in partnership with state outdoor recreation offices, trade associations, and others from across the region. A full list of participants with brief biographies is available online.  

Outdoor recreation has long been recognized as a vital part of the regional economy and is increasingly seen as an important contributor to personal health and wellness, and as a valuable amenity for rural communities seeking to attract and retain residents and businesses.  

“Communities across the Northern Border region are looking to capitalize on the opportunity represented by the outdoor recreation economy,” said Chris Saunders, federal co-chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission. “The Symposium provided a forum for leaders from across the region to share experiences, lessons learned and best practices while also collaborating on a collective vision for how to build on the success of this sector in an inclusive and environmentally sustainable manner. We expect that the energy at this event will translate into positive impacts on the outdoor recreation economy in our region for years to come.”  

The 2024 Symposium built on a prior event hosted by the Center and NBRC in 2018. Recommendations from the 2018 Symposium led to creation of a new Office of Outdoor Recreation in New Hampshire, stabilizing and strengthening Outdoor Recreation offices in Maine and Vermont, and elevating Outdoor Recreation as a funding priority for the NBRC and other agencies. Those and other important outcomes generated strong interest in a follow-up event. The 2024 Symposium was originally planned for 2022 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Presenters Shared Wide-Ranging Expertise

More than 45 presenters took part in the Symposium – addressing topics including progress on outdoor recreation in each state, engaging a wider variety of people in outdoor recreation, community-based initiatives, stewardship and sustainability, entrepreneurism in the outdoor sector, workforce development, funding, climate change, and ensuring services and benefits for residents in addition to visitors.  

The event also featured keynote presentations by Ta Enos, founder & CEO of Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, and Chris Estes, co-executive director of the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group.  

“This Symposium was focused on action and one of the only conferences I’ve been to that truly felt like positive change would be made in the years to come,” said Carolyn Lawrence, executive director of Stowe Trails Partnership. “We found common challenges and potential solutions together and even worked to prioritize the ones we wanted to pursue as a group. The energy is infectious and inspiring, and I can’t wait to see how our region comes together to bolster all of our communities around outdoor recreation!”  

The Symposium culminated with participants identifying specific ideas they considered “ripe for regional action.” These include improving delivery of business assistance services, developing new outdoor recreation career pathways, elevating health and wellness benefits in rural communities, and creating new systems to understand and track the impacts of outdoor recreation across the Northern Forest region.   

Join June 18 Webinar for Symposium Outcomes

The Center will compile outcomes and share a final Symposium report in the coming weeks. On June 18, the Center is hosting a public webinar to share high-level outcomes and observations from the event. The webinar is free, but registration is required.   

“We are tremendously grateful to the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Symposium planning team, presenters, and all the participants who contributed to this event – and who work hard every day to build a vital outdoor recreation sector,” said Mike Wilson, the Center’s senior program director

“The Northern Forest’s landscape, location, and traditions make this region ripe to benefit from — and to be a leader in — the increasingly important outdoor recreation sector,” said Wilson. “We’re excited to continue working with partners to capitalize on the opportunity outdoor recreation holds for communities across the Northern Forest.”