Senate Bill 484 sponsored by Sen. Adam Hinds (Democrat - Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Counties) would establish:
'...within the executive office of environmental affairs, the office of outdoor recreation...to serve as an agency of the commonwealth to promote and market outdoor recreational activities of the commonwealth to the public...including various active and passive sports and activities, including, but not limited to: trail-dependent sports and activities, including hiking, recreational cycling, mountain biking and recreational equestrianism; natural landscape-dependent sports and activities, including wildlife viewing, mountain and rock climbing; water-dependent sports and activities, including water skiing, swimming, surfing, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, and other paddle sports; snow-dependent sports and activities, including skiing and sledding...
And:
"...There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund known as the Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund...The director shall administer the fund for purposes of providing competitive grant or loan opportunities to programs, projects and initiatives of organizations, businesses and other public or private entities determined to support or promote the mission of the office...The fund shall consist of public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations, interest earned on gifts, grants and donations, and any funds provided from other sources..."
The Appalachian Mountain Club supports the bill.
Other states that currently have Outdoor Recreation Offices include:
- Utah
- Washington
- Colorado
- Wyoming
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Montana
Maine has a temporary Director position pending legislative approval of Gov. Janet Mills' 2020 budget, and NH legislators are debating a bill that would establish a position of Director of Outdoor Recreation Industry Development.
