The Impact of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation on Local and State Economies

This event is an in-person screening of this webinar; there is no virtual component.

The Impact of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation on Local and State Economies

Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Office of Community Planning, Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation, will provide an overview of the outdoor recreation economy in Pennsylvania, the wealth of benefits it provides to communities of all sizes, and the potential negative impacts associated with the growth of outdoor recreation within gateway communities. The session will deep dive into the benefits of outdoor recreation as an economic development and revitalization model while reviewing potential pitfalls and common challenges planners of all levels need to be aware of in communities with an outdoor recreation focus. During this session, these topics will be explored

• What are the benefits of outdoor recreation and tourism development to communities?
• What are the basic components necessary for community and economic development through outdoor recreation and tourism?
• What are some of the pushbacks in outdoor recreation and tourism development in a community?
• What communities have been good examples of successful rural community and economic development through outdoor recreation and tourism?
• How can communities partner with agencies and organizations to help develop their communities and economies through outdoor recreation and tourism?

Also provided during this session will be an overview of the outcomes of a national assessment of land-grant university capacity to support recreation economies, in addition to highlights of the keys to success from the development of the Mon Forest Towns Partnership in West Virginia. The MFT Partnership was created to cultivate relationships across lands and forests gateway communities that will enhance the economy and the quality of life for residents and visitors while sustaining the quality of the environment. The partnership helps connect towns within the Monongahela National Forest Region in West Virginia.

Speakers

• Doug Arbogast, Extension Specialist, Rural Tourism Development, West Virginia University
• Nathan Reigner, Director of Outdoor Recreation, DCNR
• Katie Wickert, Local Government Planning Specialist, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, Office of Community Planning

AICP Credits: 1.25 ASLA Credits: 1.25

Group viewing brought to you by Lancaster County Planning.

Lancaster County Planning strives to provide educational opportunities for our planning partners – professional planners, municipalities, consultants, designers, engineers, local planning commissions, and interested citizens. In 2025, we will continue to provide an opportunity for our partners to join us at our office to view a mix of live and recorded webinars we have purchased or registered for from various sources on a variety of planning topics. Many of these programs will provide AICP CM and ASLA continuing education credits. Due to site license restrictions, we are not able to share our webinar access information with interested parties. For independent access, please contact the webinar provider directly.

For questions related to this event, please contact 717-299-8333 or email [email protected].

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

HR Training Room, 150 North Queen Street, Lancaster, United States