The demand for both close-to-home and regional outdoor recreation opportunities has never been higher. While that’s good news for the outdoor economy, it’s also putting pressure on an industry workforce that is already struggling with chronic skill-gaps and a retirement wave. By uniting around a new vision of workforce development, the outdoor recreation industry can capture the full opportunity.

Meredith Morrice, who heads up industry engagement for the Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy, was recently a featured guest on First Monday Update, a monthly video segment hosted by Anita Azarenko, interim vice president for Oregon State Extension & Engagement. Considering that the Center was still in the initiative phase the last time it was covered on an episode of First Monday Update,.

Since spring, OREI has been working in partnership with the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) to track the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sprawling outdoor industry. After early data revealed widespread economic devastation, our most recent findings offer signs of recovery. Media coverage shows how our research is shaping the conversation. Caption of bike riders in woods goes here