Recognizing that outdoor recreation is a large and growing sector of the economy nationwide, the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) program was formed in 2019 to provide planning assistance to small towns and rural communities to help them boost their outdoor recreation economy and revitalize their main streets.
This program, a partnership between U.S. EPA, Northern Border Regional Commission, Appalachian Regional Commission, U.S. Forest Service, and (new) the Denali Commission, provides a planning team to help communities bring together local residents and other stakeholders to decide on strategies and an action plan to grow the local outdoor recreation economy. The planning assistance process will take place over 8 to 12 months, with a focal point being a facilitated community workshop. At the workshop, participants will work together to identify a vision, goals, and specific actions to realize the locally set goals.