Applauds Senate committee approval of first-ever recreation package that will improve outdoor access, experiences
WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 3 – On the same day the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the first-ever recreation package, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), of which MRAA is a member, released an energizing video highlighting a myriad of outdoor recreation activities, the $689 billion outdoor recreation economy, and the over 4.3 million jobs it supports while urging Americans to get outside and recreate. The video also emphasizes how the outdoor recreation industry boosts our local and national economies, and how recreating outdoors has been a fun, healthful respite for many over the past two years and will continue to be in the future.
“I don’t think our nation has seen the positive impacts outdoor recreation has had on Americans’ physical, mental and economic health in such a tangible way as we have over the past several years,” said Jessica Turner, president of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “Now is the time to remind the nation and our elected officials how the outdoors and the recreation economy helped us get through the pandemic and how we can bring more to people, communities and economies with bills like the recreation package. We hope Americans continue to get outside to improve their lives and, like the video states, nowadays we could all use a little less zoom and a little more vroom!”
Additionally, America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022 passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee today includes the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act, the Outdoor Recreation Act, Recreation Not Red-Tape, among other bipartisan and pragmatic outdoor recreation legislation. ORR sent a letter to the committee last year urging them to pass this much-needed legislation as soon as possible to, “help manage already existing conserved lands and waters in order to support businesses recovering from COVID-19, and now impacted by wildfires and drought, ensure better access to the outdoors for all Americans, mitigate the impacts of climate change and ever-increasing visitation in some areas on the outdoor experience and create jobs by supporting rural economies and communities.”
Turner added, “We applaud Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso for crafting the first-ever Outdoor Recreation Package and helping to pass it out of committee. We now urge the full Congress to pass it this year to continue the tremendous momentum and impact of the outdoor recreation economy.”
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ABOUT ORR
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations representing the $689 billion outdoor recreation economy. ORR focuses on the growth of outdoor recreation by building a better environment for the sustainable growth of outdoor recreation businesses and driving a broader understanding of the value of the outdoor recreation economy. Our membership includes national outdoor trade association members, business entities, nonprofit organizations, and universities — serving more than 110,000 businesses and representing America’s boating, fishing, RVing, biking, hiking, camping, hunting, ATVing, diving, horseback, and skiing communities among many more.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.