American Recreation Coalition

03/15/2018

I-GO: Six Governors Already Proclaim June 2018 ®! http://www.funoutdoors.com/node/view/3925

Special thanks go to Gov. Haslam for being the first governor to proclaim Great Outdoors Month in 2018®. And we would like to recognize Govs. Walker, Reynolds and Herbert for highlighting outdoor recreation’s contributions to the national economy where it accounts for 2% of Gross Domestic Product...

01/24/2018

The plan to put a Starbucks inside Yosemite National Park has created a furor, but corporations have long had a foothold in America's national parks.

01/22/2018

Thank you Department of the Interior!

Americans and visitors from abroad continue to enjoy visits to American’s National Parks and other federal sites today, thanks to the actions of your department to accept and enlist the support of partners to provide a safety net for both our parks and park visitors. Thousands of concessioner employees, state and local employees, and other allies are stepping up to help inform visitors, pick up trash and provide essential visitor services. In some cases, these same partners are providing daily payments of thousands of dollars to keep NPS employees on the job.

Bravo for achieving this important status within hours of the failure of the Congress to act on a budget extension. In 2013, the Department of the Interior declined to respond for two weeks to offers from its many partners in parks. The refusal to consider creative interim steps ignored the reality that normal park operations rely on partners. The delay in response – ignoring initially the overtures of six Governors that ultimately reopened parks in six states -- robbed millions of great park experiences and had major economic impacts on gateway communities and the businesses operating in our parks. We made it clear that the Anti-Deficiency Act deals only with appropriated dollars – and park visitors annually bring some $2 Billion dollars to spend in the parks on entrance fees, lodging, food, transportation, retail purchases and other services. Shutting the parks – as the previous Administration did in 2013 – shut down this revenue stream. There is no way to replace revenues from rooms that go unused, or meals uneaten. And this lost revenue in 2013 cost loss of income for thousands of private sector workers. Unlike federal workers who were paid retroactively, our employees actually lost wages.

We will continue to urge the Congress and the President to reach an agreement quickly so that park operations can return to normal. But we do believe that this shutdown experience offers a powerful, important lesson about how our national parks and other public lands and waters can benefit from a new spirit of cooperation and partnership in the years ahead.

Thank you – for putting the American people first.

12/04/2017

Information for the Great Outdoors: Teens Spend Only One Hour Outdoors Per School Day According to New NEEF Survey

The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) – in conjunction with other members of the Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable – is working with federal agencies including the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service to help connect today’s tech-savvy youth to their public lands and wate...

11/09/2017

We just hosted a fantastic event for the Agents of Discovery National Mall and Memorial Parks Mission on November 7! Together with our partners - the National Parks Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the American Recreation Coalition, and the Canadian Embassy - we introduced young visitors to a new w...

11/07/2017

Outdoor Recreation Industry Praises Creation of New Recreation Advisory Committee, Appointment of “Recreation Czar” https://goo.gl/FYfmj8

“The spirit of American innovation and ingenuity is what built our country, and the Interior Department wants that same spirit and energy to resonate within the realm of outdoor recreation on our public lands,” said Secretary Zinke. “By forming this committee, I look forward to hearing from the best...

10/23/2017

Recreational activities continue to be a mainstay of the American lifestyle and economy, generating more than $887 billion in annual spending and supporting tens of millions of jobs across the country, according to the American Recreation Coalition’s new report Outdoor Recreation Outlook 2018. Outdoor recreation industry leaders report good sales and increased activity for 2017 and project still stronger activity in 2018. People are looking for active, healthy, “high value” fun – and they are finding it in America’s great outdoors.

Among the report’s key findings:
- Visitation to state and national parks is on the rise
- RVs and boats are enjoying increasing sales and large crowds are turning up at Fall snowmobile shows
- Skiing is up, archery is up, fishing is up, camping is up
- Millions more people are turning to Recreation.gov to plan visits to the Great Outdoors
- And activities like camping are attracting new, more diverse participants!

Read the full story at: http://www.funoutdoors.com/2018Outlook

A core strength of outdoor recreation in America is the lure of America’s public lands and waters covering nearly one third of the nation’s surface. Best known is America’s National Park System with 400+ units, ranging from world-renowned destinations to small historic sites. Visitation is on the ri...

09/29/2017

NPLD - coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation and sponsored by Toyota Motor North America - is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Find an event near you and give back to your community by pulling invasive plants, maintaining trails, picking up trash, and more. Or, just get outdoors and enjoy some healthy, active fun! NPLD is a fee-free day for all federal public lands and many state parks to encourage people to join in and visit their public lands. Take this day to enjoy the great outdoors and celebrate America’s public lands.

09/29/2017

Fall is finally here, and that means it’s time to enjoy those cooler temperatures and get outdoors! There’s no better time to experience the wonderful recreation opportunities on America’s public lands and waters than this Saturday (September 30), which happens to be National Public Lands Day (NPLD) and Bike Your Park Day!

07/19/2017

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Touts Increased Partnerships, Celebrates American-Made Products

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and other senior federal officials met with representatives of the outdoor recreation industry at the U.S. Department of the Interior July 18 to discuss how the use of public-private partnerships can help improve visitor experiences on America’s public lands and waters.

http://www.funoutdoors.com/node/view/3799

“One of my top priorities is to expand recreational access to public lands and waters. Today I'm excited to announce that, for the first time, the Department of the Interior will host a recreation advisory committee dedicated to looking at public-private partnerships across all public lands, with th...

05/19/2017