Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economy Summit Report - November 20, 2019
2030: Creating a Vibrant Outdoor Recreation Economy Culture
Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance / Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative
Bolton Valley Resort, Friday, October 18, 2019
“Big picture, the summit reinforced the idea that businesses, state leaders, and nonprofits need to work together to succeed in building up recreation infrastructure in Vermont.” – 2019 Attendee
Opening Remarks
Lindsay DesLauriers, President, Bolton Valley Resort
Outdoor recreation is core to why many choose to live in Vermont and is an important part of our quality of life and how we connect to the world around us. It is critical to the economic vitality and a sustainable future for our state. Bolton Valley Resort is steeped in this work every day as it takes care of the mountain environment, creates access for the community, and provides good jobs and a quality of life for those who live and work here. Bolton Valley’s opportunities and challenges are shared by other outdoor recreation businesses, nonprofit organizations and state agencies. This summit and the discussions today will move us forward into the future.
Michael Snyder, Commissioner, Vermont Forest, Parks and Recreation; Chair, Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative
Vermont has a long and great history/legacy of outdoor recreation. It is part of our heritage. Our culture of vigorous outdoor life has long been a defining characteristic.
We’ve made great progress as a state, as well as faced challenges. Historic activity includes Perry Merrill, the CCC and early ski pioneers creating the state park system and giving rise to a national skiing movement as well as the growth of wildlife-based recreation, with a burgeoning interest in hunting and fishing. There was the time when Vermont was the “Beckoning Country” in the mid-sixties, all capitalizing on our natural, built, and cultural assets and leveraging them for greater economic development.
We are clearly at another historic point in this arc, where more and more of us are embracing outdoor recreation and the elements of a vibrant outdoor recreation economy. At their best, such efforts are a fine balance between protection of environmental quality, enjoyment of the outdoors for public health, skill building, quality of life, and economic opportunities for our communities.
Support of these goals by Governor Scott led to establishment of the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC), a platform for diverse, inclusive input on how best to achieve those goals, directed by a steering committee of 15 Vermonters – two government representatives and 13 volunteers from the business, non-profit, and conservation communities.
In two years, we’ve come a long way, having:
Created a board and basic process built on representation, inclusivity, and transparency;
Affirmed the positive power of a Vermont outdoor recreation economy guided by non-profit volunteerism and committed outdoor businesses;
Processed significant, varied public input and built a set of recommendations for the short, medium, and long-term;
Created the First-Time Happy Campers Program and helped stimulate the creation of the Vermont Outdoor Business Association (VOBA); and,
Created the VOREC Community Grant Program with $1.6 million in requests and doubled Legislative funding for year two.
What makes VOREC unique is that economic development is rooted in environmental quality and support and participation from all parties who need to be at the table. Many partners in this room are the visionaries and leaders in outdoor recreation that have led to these positive outcomes for Vermonters. These outcomes here in Vermont are noticed by others across the country and we are leaders in the national OREC movement.
VOREC began with a summit of creative, collaborative minds from all elements of outdoor recreation, conservation, business and economic development. This summit builds on the cooperative efforts of these earlier events, and represents an opportunity to bring stakeholders together, understand perspectives, spark ideas, and continue to work together on opportunities for outdoor recreation and outdoor business in the months and years ahead. One of the most important factors in our collective early success is the widespread enthusiasm from Vermonters, which has translated into significant support from not only the Governor but also from the Legislature.
Senator Tim Ashe, Senate Pro Temp, Vermont Legislature
I’m really impressed with the fruits of your collective efforts since the first convening of VOREC, which I attended. New funding to support trail development and maintenance, the rustic cabin program, public-private partnerships encouraging more use of our state parks. The energy from VOREC, and now VOBA, is making good things happen.
I think this convening also represents a recognition that we need all sectors working together - government, business, and non-profit. Strengthening our outdoor economy is dependent upon each sector bringing its best.
And your work accentuates Vermont’s most significant competitive advantage - a commitment to doing well by doing right: Environmental stewardship, a celebration of experiencing the outdoors, taking care of your workforce. I look forward to working with you all in the days ahead to make our outdoor economy stronger still.
Kelly Ault, Executive Director, Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance
The outdoor recreation sector has long served as an economic driver and represents a diversity of businesses from emerging entrepreneurs to long-established iconic brands. It has importance in every community as employers as well as contributors to community efforts that ensure the quality and sustainability of our recreation amenities. The summit agenda weaves together all the necessary components of our outdoor recreation system from conservation, stewardship and infrastructure to workforce, financing and marketing. Each is deeply steeped in culture and each is critical to a future we could imagine for Vermont in 2030.
Keynote Panel: How to build a brand, culture, and community in Vermont
The founders and leaders behind Vermont’s most iconic outdoor recreation manufacturers will describe what it has been like to grow a business in the Green Mountain State over the decades. They will share strategies for building a “culture” within their brands and how interlinking with Vermont's communities and recreation has been key to success.
Moderator: Lisa Lynn, Vice-President, Addison Press; Publisher, VT Sports, VT SKI + RIDE Panelists: Ric Cabot, President, CEO, Cabot Hosiery Mills; Founder, Darn Tough; Justin Worthley, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources, Burton Snowboards; Frazier Blair, Vice President General Merchandise Manager, The Orvis Company; Michael Jager, Chief Creative Officer, Solidarity of Unbridled Labour.
How does Vermont positively affect your brand?
Vermont has its own brand - if businesses can stay true to that, they can thrive. We can “tell the story of Vermont”. There is an awakening through health, wellness and life. There is a shift where our businesses have a huge advantage. We are saving lives through the outdoor experience.
Vermont is unpretentious, untangled, unbound (through freedom and radical thought), has an unbelievable (quality of life) brand in VT (people are actually nice). The unpretentiousness of being in Vermont [is] that everyone is very nice. Untangled [is our] simple way to connect and unite ideas. Unbound creatively and creative / thought in Vermont. It is unbelievable that we can live in such a great place and interact with the world. We are fortunate to work through companies throughout the world.
What are the challenges of running a business in Vermont?
Vermont is not an in-migration state and the challenge is there are few out of state businesses that have moved to Vermont. We do not have the tax incentives in place, like some other states to draw in businesses from out of state (New Hampshire). However there is an opportunity to connect and support one another. The barriers for business upstart and growth, are: the financing needed to get started and grow, facilities, innovation, infrastructure, workforce and challenging demographics. Storytelling and marketing are important to show off authenticity and alikeness of different businesses and how they got to where they are today as an inspiration for other businesses.
For Darn Tough, scaling the business to support and sustain growth, has been seen as a challenge (Darn Tough is 300 people now and seeking to grow to 600 in the next 4-5 years). Rick Cabot sees Vermont as offering workers “either no other place to work or a good place to work”. Orvis works to retain talent, identifying different areas of talent needs that are not able to be met in Vermont. Orvis has hired a remote IT team based out of Virginia, to outsource talent and skills needed. There is a way to manage relocation challenges, that is still in alignment with the brand/ Working with remote employment and employee referrals can help fill roles that would otherwise be challenging to fill.
The Vermont brand needs to be have a “super magnet” and cohesive story that people can see and feel. VOBA is the start of the story and how we can bring everyone together through a cohesive story. For example “The Outsiders” magazine from the Northwest and West coast has a cohesive image of surf and authentic outdoor culture. There needs to a compelling draw to the brand, that pulls people to the experience of working and being in Vermont, globally. We need to be willing to be bold, unique and take chances with image.
How can businesses stay current, what are the current trends?
Participation and getting people into nature, health and wellness and time spent in the outdoors - outdoor recreation has the opportunity to spread brand awareness and participation. For example, Orvis teaches 15,000 people a year (and 100,000 in total) to fly fish, placing a high priority on participation.
We need to pay attention to what customers are doing and what problems we can help them solve. If trends are going in a direction, we have to be proactive and not get stuck in our ways and to be with customers as they develop their outdoor habits, at all skill levels (running, skiing, etc.). Being in Vermont, we are in a unique environment where we can test the product in all conditions and observe what customers are wearing. With our close eye on the market and direct experience with the product, Darn Tough will never outspend Smartwool (a multibillion dollar VF brand), however DT can be smarter than money as an independent brand.
Access to markets is now at our fingertips, with Amazon and other digital marketplaces. Companies no longer have to rely on expensive marketing and sales channels (TV, etc.). Burton put together a partnership with other companies to utilize an empty building space on their campus for new and different ways to partner with other complimentary companies to share space. Burton is now working with the nonprofit the Chill Foundation, Talent Skatepark, food partners (Mad Taco, Misery Loves company) and Higher Ground to fill these spaces and create an anchor for a full brand experience.
How can businesses build partnerships?
Collaborations with other businesses is an exciting opportunity to learn. Orvis has worked with Whistlepig, which was included in their fall catalog, with Seventh Generation on strategic goal setting and Burton on product design. Magic happens by bringing people from different disciplines together through collaboration. Karma Birdhouse is focused on bringing different businesses together to share ideas through design (ISKRA – non-profit print studio). Patagonia Actionworks, collaborated through teaching activism to influence change. There is an opportunity to capture the full state story (i.e. the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail is rich in history).
How can we strengthen the outdoor recreation economy?
There is an opportunity to capture Vermont college graduates and get them to stay in Vermont. The first work experience after college is so important in cementing a young person’s future in Vermont. There should be a state incentive to stay vs. attracting people to come to come to Vermont to work remotely (referencing the state’s $10K new worker relocation incentive). There are 14 states that have an Office of Outdoor Recreation within the state and there could be opportunity in Vermont having their own outdoor recreation office.
One of the traps Vermont has is making sure the magnet we are creating is uniquely our own and to push against boring. Vermont is a verb – it is a way of being or an action of how to live. The problem the outdoor market image has, is that it all can be perceved as being the same through the use of similar photography that is not reality. The History of Patagonia book shows images of the lifestyle behind living an outdoor life. We should push against the boring by showing and being real.
Vermont has a great story and message, however we need to tell the story beyond the state. The 100 North – A Vermont Snowboard Movie produced with Darn Tough has all of its imagery from Vermont, to show that we can’t manufacture recreation, rather, we experience it.
The opportunity is that outdoor companies can attract outdoor enthusiast employees. In 10 years, we should ask ourselves if we will be selling products or creating / selling new authentic experiences.
There is a need to support Vermont athletes, to keep athletes in Vermont (community and kids). Concept 2 is an example of a business that has supported Craftsbury Outdoor Center and athletes that have come to train.
If and how will climate change affect businesses?
Climate change will affect business or families individually. Businesses must become and remain sustainable through giving money to conservation efforts (Orvis donates 5% of pretax dollars to conservation efforts to protecting public lands and waterways). Orvis committed this year to a 3-5 year plan.
Burton has been activating the company in many ways around climate change. The company shut down for the climate strike globally. The company places an importance on diversification of the business with snow variability and snow fall levels changing annually. Galvanizing people around climate change has been important in Burton’s messaging. Darn Tough is looking for areas in their supply chain to reduce their carbon foot print. Darn Tough has also been looking at community sustainability through staying in a small town (Northfield, VT) with positive affects on the local economy.
Infrastructure/Stewardship: How world-class infrastructure/stewardship gets built ... and builds culture
This session will feature a panel discussion, spotlighting success stories from some of the state's premier resources, showcasing how a vibrant culture helps build those resources and how those resources, in turn, build a vibrant economy and culture.
Moderator: Abby Long, Executive Director, Kingdom Trails. Panelists: Mariah Keagy, Trail Builder, Designer, Sinuosity; Mike DeBonis, Executive Director, Green Mountain Club; Karrie Thomas, Executive Director, Northern Forest Canoe Trail; Zac Freeman, Board Member, Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA).
What is Infrastructure and Stewardship?
There are five takeaways for understanding stewardship for trail-based recreation in Vermont:
All recreation in Vermont is local and grows connectivity between residents.
A partnership model is central. The system is non-profit driven and funded by the outdoor
community (foundations, private donors, members, businesses).
Volunteers make it happen (trail days, other support, etc.).
Most trail infrastructure is on private land and support of private landowners is critical.
Only about 5% of trail users support trails organizations financially. This is a challenge but also an opportunity.
Collaborations have had an impact with all projects, through community resources, highly skilled decision making and being totally volunteer dependent. RASTA was awarded the first VOREC community grant, which helped to further RASTA’s goals. Their latest success is the Outdoor Hub in Randolph. Events are a great way to build enthusiasm and trust within the local community for trail efforts. There is an opportunity for rural areas to be developed through recreation (examples include Randolph, Waterbury, Richmond, and Jeffersonville).
What can we do to preserve the landscape in the face of increased use?
Trails are a part of the working landscape, but Vermont needs to get a lot out of the land to make the numbers work economically. Act 250 has done a lot to regulate land development however, as a 50- year-old policy, may need to be adjusted to trail infrastructure needs today to sustain the health of trails physically and economically. There is a reinforced need for good trail standards and making sure that our standards are kept high with increased use. Maintaining good relationships with landowners will be critical to the future of trail use and access.
Having skilled volunteers is also critical for maintaining a high standard for all trail networks, to ensure that all work completed will last, as trails continue to grow and see more traffic. Our recreation plan will need to balance recreation with the needs of wildlife, plant and habitat conservation.
Where do we envision Vermont’s Outdoor Recreation Economy in the future?
Climate change is at the forefront of a lot of people’s concerns. We will need to plan for upcoming challenges and be able to keep the conversation on climate change going. We will need to be open to exploring new solutions to resource management at the government and non-profit level. The outdoor recreation economy can be more local, backyard-focused to reduce emissions and to build communities regionally through planning.
Planning and getting every type of user engaged in regular conversation about use is critical to
reducing any user friction on trails and to creating better user experiences. User overlap has had challenges but has been positive, allowing areas to be open and inclusive of all recreational user groups. For example, Kingdom Trails is looking beyond trails to help mitigate the local impacts on the town of East Burke through parking and local traffic. We can build more trails, capture more users but we will need to be ready to manage the impacts of increased users. Herein lies the opportunity to use trails / recreation to drive rural economic growth.
How do we manage growth?
We will have to say “no” sometimes to new growth, however, we will need to work together to have a shared supportive vision of the future. We can manage increased use through planning and creating good (locally driven) policies that use hard data and science. Protecting and preserving the landscape that supports the recreation economy is critical. These efforts will ground and support local economies. However, we will need to continue to educate and show how recreation is beneficial for the economy (for example through events and films).
Financing & Creative Funding: Identifying traditional and non-traditional financing and funding opportunities in Vermont
This session will provide an overview of financing and funding opportunities and tools for Vermont businesses and organizations along the capital continuum, through a panel discussion and small group question-and-answer sessions.
Moderator: Josh Reid, Co-Founder, Rome Snowboards. Panelists: Janice St. Onge, President, Flexible Capital Fund; Lindsay DesLauriers, President, Bolton Valley Resort; Jake Perkinson, Bolton Valley Angel Investor; Marc Sherman, Founder, Outdoor Gear Exchange; Jason Levinthal, Founder, J Skis; Thomas Porter, Director of Commercial Lending, Vermont Economic Development Authority.
What did each company do early in terms of financing?
Bolton Valley Resort had a track record of failure, so finding people to invest was a challenge. Moving forward they needed to: 1) assume existing debt; 2) raise capital through equity investment; and, 3) figure out a plan to make Bolton sustainable.
Outdoor Gear Exchange started with $35,000 and sold part of the business for $9,000 which was a bad idea as they didn’t have a clear exit strategy for those investors. Through tripling early projections, this created an inventory and capital problem. They learned how to maintain close relationships with vendors, staying closely connected and fulfilling all promises. Most recently they used crowd funding to help fund part of their new location.
After some early setbacks with finances, J Skis spends as little as possible, to get as far as possible. They have found success through running a strong direct to consumer and by understanding modern day business practices and taking their own path to investment through a unique combination of loans.
Panel’s Investing Advice:
Have confidence selling the idea – think about costs and double them (easier to be ahead than short).
Understand financials – imagine what success looks like, what is the exit strategy, what is the return and to each stakeholder.
Think about the end goal – where do you see your company in 3-5 years, how big and fast do you want to grow (have a strong understanding)?
Ask for help – tap resources like the Small Business Development Center.
Develop a business plan to sell your idea and a plan that you believe in.
Be realistic – know your business and where you want to be.
Speak to the value of the investment and the long term commitment.
Invest in a financial advisor to make connections and to see the overall picture, beyond the business plan.
Make a cash flow – understand how much money you have.
Make estimates and projections – need capital to drive the inventory.
Communication and relationships are important – don’t go dark, fulfill promises be consistent.
Find a way to connect with lenders to move forward on different ideas.
As you grow, you will need to find better financing and to secure more money.
How do you greenlight an investment or loan? What’s the profile for a good investment? (question for investors)
Demonstrate proof of concept and demonstrate you’re all in.
Allow for inside view and be totally honest.
Good communication.
Understanding reputation and integrity in Vermont goes a long way.
VEDA looks at business risk, collateral, personal guarantees, who the individuals are, and their strengths and needs.
Workforce: How to attract and retain employees for the next generation of Vermont’s outdoor recreation businesses
The diversity of Vermont’s outdoor recreation industry will require a more skilled workforce in the coming years. Participants of this session will learn how the Vermont Talent Pipeline process develops a career path for the industry, both for entry and upskilling leadership positions. Small groups will work towards consensus on “critical” positions as part of a career ladder, both in number and importance. Session outcomes will lead to employer collaboration to forecast hiring demand and define competencies and credentials.
Facilitators: Mary Anne Sheahan, Executive Director, Vermont Talent Pipeline Management; Justin Worthley, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources, Burton Snowboards; Corinne Prevot, Founder, CEO, Skida.
What are our talent needs and common interests?
Talent is one of the outdoor recreation sector’s biggest assets and an important question is how do businesses attract it and maintain it moving forward? There are three key takeaways on barriers to hiring:
A demographic shift in the workforce;
Lack of workplace skills and behaviors; and,
Lack of (or connection to) skill training programs.
Overall takeaways:
The nature of the industry lends itself to varied employee needs.
Workers have shown to begin in entry-level service-related roles and advance into professional
careers.
Some jobs are specific to outdoor recreation, others are professional roles that span industries.
Seasonal employment is a significant challenge in the sector, which benefits from cooperative
hiring relationships.
This industry has a unique advantage to merge recreation passion with employment opportunity. It’s attractive!
We can do a better job of “telling the story” about career ladders and on-ramps in outdoor
recreation.
We can explore workforce sharing or cooperative/sub out arrangements for seasonal
employment. Considerations include: cultural alignment, different needs for what may appear to be a similar job (for ex. in customer service), and managing wage/benefit gaps.
What are the critical jobs in the industry, currently and in the future?
Participating in the Summit workforce session were business leaders (7 from product and 11 from service) as well as nonprofit and state government representatives. Compared to three VOBA roundtables held around the state, participation in this session was determined to be a representative sample of the diverse products and services within outdoor recreation businesses.
Small workgroups brainstormed the most valued people in their organization and what their roles were. Responses were varied: operations management, retail salespeople, inside sales (director and general sales positions), ecommerce, public relations, human resources, digital marketing, and customer engagement.
Small workgroups discussed common employability traits for desirable candidates:
Trainable, dependable, and accountable for work;
Attention to quality, ability to learn, manage a project; lead a team; and
Results oriented, knowledgeable, proactive, taking initiative
In a group exercise, each participant filled out 5 cards with top critical jobs, which they sorted into the following potential categories for further research:
Both Product and Services – Marketing Specific / General Business
Product Supply Chain – Product Design -> Order Fulfillment
Services – Safety / Customer Service / Machine Operators / Technicians / Food & Beverage
Business Categories / number of employers who cited as critical:
How we can collaborate to develop skilled talent for the most critical industry jobs?
The opportunity is for outdoor recreation employers to provide clear hiring signals and career paths for industry entrance and retention. A collective impact approach will develop training programs to serve the needs of the industry through consensus on the common jobs, competency and credential requirements, and measures of success, to maintain continuous improvement. Stakeholders will include educators, policy makers, industry associations, regional workforce partners, and government agencies.
Opportunities for further understanding:
Determine job need consensus by circulating a survey to the broader outdoor recreation business community to validate the summit’s critical job list with the full group. Results would provide data points for what job/s categories have the highest demand in the industry.
Determine if employers want to work together on skill development for hiring and/or upskilling incumbents to fill the demand. If yes, employers form an Outdoor Recreation Collaborative with a specific need for industry-critical jobs. This may include a subset of VOBA members or non- members.
Employers may choose to engage in the demand driven Talent Pipeline Management process which communicates industry hiring demand to workforce system stakeholders:
Employer demand includes a hiring forecast and considers economic factors, new technologies, new and replacement jobs, employee attrition and retirements, industry growth trends and labor market projections.
Educators/Training providers align training programs or design new ones, if they don’t exist.
Public and private funders provide labor force with grants, incentives, funding, etc. for training.
Employers hire direct from the education source, eliminating posting, screening, interviewing, and training costs.
Other approaches different than the Talent Pipeline Management process might be identified for short-term needs in matching up job seekers with hiring employers, fostering immediate skill sets, and addressing additional barriers to hiring by the industry.
Vermont Talent Pipeline Management Process
Vermont Talent Pipeline (TPM) is an initiative of the Vermont Business Roundtable, a statewide non-profit organization with a mission to make Vermont the best place to do business, live life and be educated. TPM is a demand-driven process to fill the skill gap within an industry, designed by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation. TPM uses a and set of strategies and webtools for dynamic industry hiring needs. Other benefits of implementing the TPM process includes: developing partnerships with local training providers; providing work-based learning; creating incentives to drive new and incumbent workers to the industry; articulating career ladder opportunities within the industry; and many more that help support Vermonters.
Possibilities for VTPM and VOBA partnership
Vermont Talent Pipeline Management and the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance could provide facilitation, data collection, educational partnership support, and ongoing communication with the members of the collaborative. The TPM process helps focus the state’s workforce systems (training and labor resources) on outdoor recreation job needs with the communication of data and the recognition of Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs). IRCS may fill short term needs with a targeted approach to skill development. Here’s how TPM works:
Survey the industry to narrow and prioritize critical job demand.
Forecast the number of critical jobs – both new and replacement.
Identify the specific competencies and credentials needed for each critical job.
Communicate the needs broadly with Vermont training providers.
Identify preferred training programs and/or sources of existing talent hires.
Identify training funding resources for individuals and businesses (i.e. apprenticeships, non-
degree grants; others).
Create incentives for labor force to enter and grow within the industry. i.e. pay above standard
for course or credential completion; guarantee interviews; scholarships; loan repayment; career
ladder expectations.
Utilize and improve educational partnerships through credential recognition, apprenticeships;
work-based learning; and hiring pathways.
Conservation: How conservation creates positive outdoor cultural and economic benefits
This panel discussion will spotlight success stories in Vermont conservation, showcasing how these efforts create both positive outdoor cultural and economic benefits.
Moderator: Craig Whipple, Director, Vermont State Parks. Panelists: Matt Williams, Executive Director, Catamount Trails Association; Becca Washburn, Director, Lands Administration and Recreation, Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation; Shelby Semmes, VT/NH State Director, Trust for Public Land; Steve Chihfield, Board Chairman, Ascutney Outdoors; Heather Furman, State Director, The Nature Conservancy.
In Vermont, our culture is our landscape, natural resources, and our human interaction with them. You can’t have a discussion about economic development in Vermont with factoring in this culture and the environmental resources our state is built on.
Conservation is the wise use of natural resources for us and for future generations.
Conservation in Vermont includes public organizations—these organizations own property outright, and also own easements on other peoples’ property. Conservation also includes municipalities, and non- profit groups, who have a history of owning land and holding easements.
Trust for Public Land (TPL)’s mission is conserving parks and land for people for healthy generations to come. They are focused on conservation opportunities that permanently obtain recreation and access benefits on a piece of property. Vermont Department of Forest Parks and Recreation (VDFPR)’s Lands Administration and Recreation division is about land protection, policies around state land use, administration of tools to guide land use, survey staff, and recreation staff that work on community-side investing in trail grants, and responsible recreation on public lands in balance with other values.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) conserves land in Vermont. Programs revolve around forestland protection, as well as water, climate, science, policy, and building coalitions. TNC is the second largest private landowner in Vermont. They own and manage land for public access, with a flagship property in every county.
The Catamount Trail Association (CTA) focuses on sustainable and equitable access to Vermont’s backcountry. As stewards, the CTA helps manage growing backcountry zones, runs programs to make skiing an accessible opportunity, and has a big interest in conservation. With Vermont’s reliance on private land for recreation, easements ensure long-term access to land.
What are some examples of conservation efforts and projects that you feel are particularly significant? What is that impact and how to do you recognize it? What have you learned from it?
TPL worked with Barre Town to acquire the Millstone Trails land as a town forest. This has led to diverse programming, from mountain biking to library story walks. Blueberry Lake acquisition with the Green Mountain National Forest is another example, with significant local investment in the trail system and a popular water access spot. CTA and the Vermont Huts Association is currently working to model landscape-scale conservation along trail networks. Efforts also involve a 3,000-acre national forest acquisition to align CTA and, hopefully, the Velomont Trail and a new hut.
As an outdoor recreation community, we need to be mindful of diversity. Raven Ridge project in Hinesburg/Charlotte illustrates the need for diversity awareness. Project partners decided to build a new parking lot and new trail. They built a boardwalk, planned a celebration, only to discover that the boardwalk wasn’t ADA-compliant. ADA legislation equalizes the playing field and allows a broader user group to access the land. They learned that the nearly $100,000 boardwalk needed to be removed or upgraded and completed an upgrade, with significant investment. The boardwalk process provided a valuable lesson in that they discovered there are many people who believe in making nature more accessible and supported this project. It was heartening to see the diversity of use on this property, and it’s part of what they needed to be thinking about for new infrastructure and access. Land conservation is more than owning land—it’s about connecting people with the land.
How do we get the people to care about the land?
We get them out there on it. Calling attention to VOREC, and increasing participation is one of VOREC’s core values. When the former owners of Bolton Valley Resort announced that they were selling off 1,100 acres of land, the community came together to protect this property. The project provided state ownership of the land and there were many stakeholders involved. Bolton holds a license with FPR to manage Nordic trails. Local organizations manage experiences on the land.
Success is an engaged community and a sense of stewardship on the land, which we have. When we’re cultivating and sustaining a conservation project, telling the story that connects people to their experiences on the land is critical. Cady Hill Forest in Stowe is another project, as is Brownsville in Stowe. Conservation can connect people to land through recreation but in different ways on different properties. Brownsville emphasizes diverse, non-trail-based recreation.
Ascutney Outdoors represents a case study as a project founded on adversity. In 2010, Mt. Ascutney went bankrupt, which was a blow to the entire community. The select board talked to TPL and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to determine how to keep the land as a resource for the town for the future. The vision was to bring multiple properties together and enter into a combined conservation and recreation easement. Money was raised with help from TPL and the vision was achieved. The community involvement was intense. Anyone undertaking a conservation project needs to assess the appetite of the community to know what they can achieve. We continue to take care of the land, and it has really brought a sense of vitality back to the community. A new general store and community-gathering place came in because of this recreation/conservation project. They are finding younger people are coming in, too.
Through the Bolton Backcountry Conservation Project, conservation has value and many benefits, however we need to recognize that this isn’t a universal view and people have legitimate concerns. The Bolton BC project demonstrates the value for people. It was an expensive project, but the returns are clear. The business community in Vermont has supported these projects and achievements. They understand that without places like this, the community they needed for their businesses couldn’t exist. There are economic benefits that are measured on these projects. The BC skiing beyond Bolton Valley generates over $1million per year in spending. The ecological, community, public health, access, and economic benefits add up and far exceed the costs of the project.
The theme of this summit is about the future. What does the conservation culture in Vermont look like in 2030?
There is a lot of conversation about trails, but dispersed recreation access is also incredibly important to Vermonters. TNC does a lot of work with Dept. of Fish & Wildlife to conserve wildlife, and hunting plays an important role in doing this. There are multiple economies at play in our forests. We need to think about how trails intersect with other economies—hunting/fishing, forest economy work, and others that are important culturally and environmentally that contribute to our quality of life in VT. We have to think about conserving our resources by leveraging what people care about. Hunting and fishing are important to a large section of our population, and these activities are important to non-hunters/fishers for conservation reasons. This is why thoughtfully siting trails is so important. If people don’t have recreation access to a quality dispersed recreation experience, we lose important conservation funding for the state.
There’s a call to action in the relationship between conservation and the outdoor recreation economy. It’s not a foregone conclusion that a panel like this would be at an event like this. The hunting and fishing community has been a pillar in conservation for a very long time. As recreation interests change and trail-based recreation takes the place of some of the hunting and fishing community, there’s an advocacy opportunity.
Concluding Panel: Moving Towards 2030 Together
The closing presentation will present the latest national, regional and state success stories that are fueling the outdoor recreation economy culture. Going beyond the borders of the traditional outdoor recreation economy in Vermont, speakers will look toward a 10-year horizon with current examples and future predictions of multi-sector collaborations, policy opportunities, data-driven outcomes, community leadership development, and sustainable system investments.
Moderator: Drew Simmons, President and Founder, Pale Morning Media. Panelists: Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund; Founder, Vermont Farm to Plate Network; Andrew Pappas, Manager of State and Local Policy, Outdoor Industry Association; Ted Brady, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Northern Border Regional Commission Outdoor Economy Council.
We can learn from trends in the outdoor recreation economy work happening across the country. A key lesson: Places that figure out sustainable funding for quality conservation and infrastructure are going to be successful. The environmental quality and infrastructure is what brings us to these places. We know in Vermont that this is hard work to put the pieces together but we will continue to bring champions together and make progress.
The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund was tasked by the Legislature in 2011 to develop the Vermont Farm to Plate Network, which represents a similar economy system to outdoor recreation in workforce, financing, production, and distribution, among others. A planned process helped identify how many jobs are connected to Vermont’s food system and built a network around 25 different leverage areas that could advance the food system in a coordinated and aligned way. VSJF has served as a backbone organization to bring people together to go in a common direction, aligning efforts of like-minded organizations to make strategic action points happen and have an intentional approach. This work over the last decade has resulted in measurable increases in jobs, businesses, and local consumption. Capturing the metrics has allowed us to tell the story of the opportunity for the local food system. Events similar to this summit promote a sense of togetherness and culture. There are similar opportunities for the outdoor recreation economy.
Ask yourself what is the culture that you want – what are the attributes? Is there an equity or access component? Is there a climate change component? What defines the culture so it is a felt experience by everyone who connects to it in some way – whether that is a tourist or someone who lives here.
Do everything you can to stay in an abundance mindset as a growing industry – avoid getting into a scarcity/competitive/fear mentality, rather keep the focus on expanding the industry, growing the highs – the frame is about how this industry is entrepreneurial and there are lots of opportunities for everyone.
Another critical role the outdoor industry plays is to address some of the underlying culture and mindset that has led to the climate crisis we are facing. You have the opportunity to be more vocal because your industry provides the opportunity for people to connect with themselves and to connect with nature. You are on the front lines to intersect with people who may never have experienced the wonder of the outdoors. You can draw the connection to why the planet is so important and we each have a role to play in protecting it.
The Outdoor Industry of America advances policy and sustainability as well as reports on the economic impact of the industry. In Vermont, that impact is $5.5 million in consumer spending and 51,000 jobs, nationally, the industry is growing faster that other sectors. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis started in 2016 counting outdoor recreation in the national GDP and this year shows that the outdoor recreation economy is growing faster than the US economy as a whole. People see the outdoor industry as the future for rural/urban communities.
There are 16 state Offices of Outdoor Recreation and last June, the states signed the Confluence Accords with principles including conservation and stewardship, education and workforce training, economic development, and public health and wellness. There is a tone of competitive collaboration – each state is unique and what is has can’t be exported to another state – how can we take advantage of that and sustain it. Recognized the different needs of different states in policy development will support our industry growth.
Climate is part of this and recent Congressional hearings in Washington including businesses conveying interests in a bi-partisan manner to drive solutions forward. This industry brings different aspects of recreation and anecdotes to the table on how the issue affects their business and participation. Local groups like VOBA are where we are headed over the next ten years, getting together, talking about issues and needs - these grassroots efforts are where it happens.
The Agency of Commerce and Community Development recognizes how important the outdoor economy is by bringing $13 million people to Vermont - tourism and marketing partnerships with Vermont Mountain Bike Association and the Vermont Ski Areas Association are key. Housing and community development make recreation projects possible and economic development provides incentives and support to businesses.
Regional efforts have value like communities in the Sharon/Thetford region that are coming together on a community visit to identify common values. The Southern Vermont Economy region has done model work together to move forward. The Northern Border Regional Commission is a unique state and federal partnership for economic development, of which Vermont’s Congressional delegation supported its authorization. It is now funded at $30 million and brings Vermont $5 million in economic development tools annually. NBRC has funded the Vermont Talent Pipeline Management, the Vermont Community Loan Fund in expanding its Farm, Forestry and Outdoor Recreation fund, and Kingdom Trails/Northeast Kingdom.
This year, the NBRC is working to make the funds more accessible to the outdoor recreation economy. Expanding the rule around infrastructure is one approach. The 4 states, including Maine, New Hampshire and New York, hosted a Northern Forest Symposium last year and determined that each state should have an outdoor recreation economy office, that each state office should be networked, and we want to market our region. The NBRC Outdoor Economy Council was created this year with 4 representatives: ME and NH ORE Offices, and representatives from VT and NY. Activities will involve VOREC with its work developing policy recommendations, VOBA as a private partner, ACCD supporting businesses in growing, and FPR in advancing stewardship and access.
Where we need to be in 2030 is to have a strong regional brand beyond Vermont – one of northern New England and the Northern Forest – that draws international visitors.
Special Thanks for the Summit Report and Photography
Special thanks to Summit notetakers: Rachel Cohen, Carolyn Lawrence, Matt Williams, Caroline Zeilenga, and Sarah Loya. Deep appreciation goes to Sarah Loya for drafting sections of this report and to Kelly Ault for editing. Special thanks to Summit photographers: Lillian Seibert, Gold Wing Photography, and Jeb Wallace Brodeur.
Photos and videos of most sessions can be found on the VOBA Summit Recap webpage.
About the Summit Co-Hosts
VERMONT OUTDOOR BUSINESS ALLIANCE: The Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) is a nonprofit organization working to educate Vermonters about outdoor recreation and Vermont businesses on businesses development and outdoor recreation economy policy in the areas of workforce, financing, infrastructure and branding. VOBA is dedicated to strengthening, expanding, attracting, and retaining outdoor recreation economy businesses in Vermont.
VERMONT OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMIC COLLABORATIVE: Established by Executive Order in June of 2017 by Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) is a public/private entity representing business, government and the nonprofit sector charged with identifying specific outcomes that promote business opportunities, increase participation opportunities, and strengthen the quality and stewardship of Vermont’s recreational resources.
“In a classic Vermont way, none of these groups do things by themselves. We all work together.” – Craig Whipple