Outdoor Recreation Industry rallies to help Minnesota create Outdoor Recreation Task Force

Outdoor recreation industry leaders including Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, REI and Outdoor Industry Association applaud Minnesota’s announcement of an Outdoor Recreation Task Force (ORTF) to study and identify economic and participation opportunities around the state’s robust outdoor recreation resources. The effort to create the task force was jointly pursued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota and was supported by many Minnesota outdoor recreation businesses- from boating and fishing to hunting and paddling. The Task Force will consist of 20 seats and be announced in January. Minnesota is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities the Outdoor Recreation Task Force will create because outdoor recreation already accounts for 2.7% of Minnesota’s economy, supports 101,000 jobs and contributes $9.6 billion to Minnesota’s economy.