Outdoor industry leaders urge $600,000 in state support for technical assistance and VOREC grants
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Summary
Representatives of the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance and Vermont Trails & Greenways Council asked the House Commerce Committee to fund $100,000 for BOBA technical assistance and to keep $500,000 for the VOREC community grant program, citing prior rounds’ leverage of private and federal funds and measurable outcomes such as 67 trail assessments and workforce cohorts.
Ellie Alt, executive director of the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance, told the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development that Vermont’s outdoor recreation sector needs targeted state investment to withstand tariff impacts, declining international visitation and climate-driven seasonality. "Without public support and investment in times of uncertainty, their value as revenue generators and employers is in jeopardy," Alt said.
Alt asked the committee to include two items in its budget: $100,000 to sustain BOBA’s one-on-one technical assistance for small and midsize outdoor businesses and $500,000 to make the VOREC (Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative) community grant program a base-funded tool in the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. She said the programs have demonstrable returns: BOBA-supported cohorts and pitch coaching helped 30 Vermont manufacturers reach trade shows and unlock State Trade Expansion Program matching funds, and BOBA-administered workforce cohorts have led to job placements.
Why it matters: Alt and other witnesses tied the requests to statewide economic activity. Testimony cited outdoor recreation contributing roughly $2.1 billion in 2023 — about 4.8% of Vermont’s GDP — and described clear pathways by which modest state grants leverage private or federal dollars, expand markets for Vermont-made goods, and support broader destination stewardship.
Details and evidence: Alt reported that, since 2019, VORAC rounds have invested grant dollars across all 14 counties (84 grants referenced by testimony) and that BOBA used VORAC funding to provide business development services to around 100 entrepreneurs via a curated network of advisers. Sharon Plumb of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council described VOREC-funded Trail Accessibility Hub work: 67 trail assessments (about $2,000 each), 60 accessible-trail description updates, and 20-plus workshops that helped communities secure follow-on funding for trail upgrades.
Committee questions focused on program administration and budgeting. Alt clarified that BOBA was a prior recipient of VOREC funding, not a regranter, and said the $500,000 VOREC allocation is in the governor’s recommended budget while BOBA’s $100,000 technical-assistance ask was not. Representatives pressed for geographic equity and for criteria that would guide future grant rounds.
Next steps: Witnesses said they would apply for future VOREC rounds if funded and provide handouts and videos for committee review. The committee did not take a vote during the hearing; the matters remain budget requests to be considered in the FY27 appropriation process.
