West Virginia Introduces Bill to Create Office of Outdoor Recreation

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• S.B. 506 would create the Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Department of Commerce. The duties of this office include coordinating outdoor recreation policy, developing a list of priority lands to be conserved and enhanced for outdoor recreation, and advocating for federal funding for outdoor recreation.  
   
• S.B. 506 recognizes the importance of outdoor recreation, an industry that accounts for 2.2% of the overall American economy and supports 5.2 million jobs.  For the West Virginia economy, outdoor recreation contributes $1.5 billion to the state’s economy to date. 
   
• S.B. 506 creates an advisory board to provide guidance to the Office of Outdoor Recreation that would ensure the interests of all stakeholders, including motorized recreation, are taken into consideration. 
   

Overview: SAN-supported legislation (S.B. 506) has been introduced to create an Office of Outdoor Recreation in West Virginia. The bill details the responsibilities of the Office to coordinate outdoor recreation policy and creates an advisory board to ensure stakeholder participation. Seventeen other states have created similar offices to help stimulate outdoor recreation activities. The bill currently awaits consideration in the Senate Economic Development Committee.