Lawmakers hear five-year plan to grow Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy

On Feb. 12, 2025, the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development heard a presentation on Move Forward Together Vermont, a five-year strategic plan for the state’s outdoor recreation economy from Jackie Daigher, program manager for the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative.

Daigher told the committee the plan is the product of an 18-month planning process that engaged roughly 2,500 people through 28 focus groups, multiple surveys and an outdoor leader summit. “Move Forward Together Vermont is our strategic vision for strengthening Vermont's outdoor recreation economy over the next 5 years and beyond,” she said.

The plan groups 19 priority actions under three core themes: stewardship, wellness and economic development, with climate resilience and equity identified as cross-cutting goals to be applied to every action. Daigher said the stewardship priorities include investing in existing recreation infrastructure, advancing climate-resilient guidance for communities that interact with rivers and water bodies, and supporting public recreation on private lands. Wellness priorities aim to expand community-based access to outdoor recreation, reduce cost barriers and improve information about opportunities. Economic development priorities focus on building workforce pathways, supporting entrepreneurship in the outdoor sector, and helping municipalities engage with recreation-driven local economies.

Daigher highlighted the economic scale of outdoor recreation in Vermont during the briefing: participants in the planning process reported that 90% of Vermonters recreate once a week or more, and the sector generates about $2.1 billion in economic impact, she said. The surveys and outreach also showed the most popular participant activities are walking, hiking, swimming and flat-water paddling; businesses reported serving bicycling, hiking, walking and backcountry skiing most frequently.

Committee members asked about partners and funding. Daigher said the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative and the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation co-led the planning effort and that the plan has been shared with other state agencies, including the Department of Fish and Wildlife. She said the effort included outreach to federal partners such as the Green Mountain National Forest and national park partners. On funding, Daigher told the committee there are no additional funds in the current budget for new grants tied to the plan; most previously authorized grant funds have been allocated and executed, with one remaining grant agreement to be finalized and projects about a year into implementation.

Chair Marcotte and other committee members invited the presenters to return with more detailed outcomes and data on how earlier investments have been used, noting the committee will consider budget recommendations during the upcoming appropriations process. Daigher encouraged committee members and the public to download the report and sign up for the project email list; she said the plan’s website will serve as a central resource for implementation and progress tracking.

Daigher and committee members also discussed engaging education and health partners to connect schools and workforce-development pathways to outdoor-recreation opportunities; Daigher said those partnerships are part of planned outreach but require additional engagement.

The presentation concluded without committee action; members signaled interest in follow-up briefings and in reviewing data on outcomes from prior grant rounds as the committee prepares budget recommendations.