At a press conference in Old Fort, North Carolina, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced the recipients of its Rebuilding and Recovery Micro-Grant Program, a targeted effort to aid the restoration of outdoor recreation assets in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Each of the selected grantees plays a critical role in restoring the trails, access points, and outdoor infrastructure that are essential to their communities’ economic recovery, resiliency and continued connection to the outdoors and its myriad benefits. In total, 189 grantees applied for grants between $1-10,000 requesting over $1.75 million in funds. These grants are made possible through generous funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and The VF Foundation, the philanthropic arm of VF Corporation, the parent company of brands including The North Face®, Vans®, Timberland®, Smartwool®, and Altra®.
“Outdoor recreation is at the heart of so many communities in these areas, driving local economics, supporting public health, and serving as a source of resilience,” said Cassie Elrod, Program and Administrative Director of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “These communities were hit hard by Hurricane Helene, and we are proud to stand with the local leaders and volunteers on the ground who are restoring the spaces that connect people to nature and provide economic opportunity.”
The importance of these recovery efforts is underscored by recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which shows that outdoor recreation is a major economic driver in these regions:
· Florida: $57.8 billion generated by outdoor recreation
· Georgia: $18.5 billion generated by outdoor recreation
· North Carolina: $16.2 billion generated by outdoor recreation
· South Carolina: $8.6 billion generated by outdoor recreation
· Tennessee: $13 billion generated by outdoor recreation
Along with today’s announcement, ORR will continue to spotlight for federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private sector partners the need for continued recovery and reinvestment in Helene-impacted outdoor recreation economies, and also invite visitors to enjoy the countless high-quality trails, rivers, parks, lakes, and campgrounds that have already been restored and serve as the backbone of the region’s identity and economic success.
ORR’s Rebuilding and Recovery Micro-Grant recipients are:
CAMP GRIER, located in Old Fort, North Carolina, has been actively working to restore trails, trailheads, and parking areas on public lands in McDowell County resulting from Hurricane Helene. Funding will be used to build an alternative access point to Gateway Trails and continue to support volunteer workdays needed to restore outdoor recreation infrastructure in the area.
“On behalf of the McDowell Chamber of Commerce we’d like to extend our gratitude to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and their partners for this award. The outdoor recreation business sector continues to grow in Old Fort and McDowell County and this award will ensure that our businesses can continue to rely on recreation users coming to the region as they work to recover from Hurricane Helene,” said Kim Effler, Director, McDowell Chamber of Commerce.
KEEP ASHE BEAUTIFUL has been concentrating on cleaning trash and debris from the most traveled routes along the New River in Ashe County, North Carolina. These segments of the river are heavily relied upon and support local outfitters renting canoes, kayaks, and tubes for recreational purposes.
“The important work that Keep Ashe Beautiful has done in our community is nothing short of amazing. The drive and passion with which they serve results in widespread improvement and community involvement. Our outdoor recreation offerings are a critical part of our tourism-based economy. This generous grant from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable will significantly impact Keep Ashe Beautiful’s ability to successfully execute the Clean River 2025 initiative and is very much appreciated.
The annual economic impact of spending on outdoor recreation trips that include the New River in Ashe County is $51.7 million in economic activity, 552 full-time equivalent jobs, and $21.1 million in labor income. So, the Clean River 2025 project of Keep Ashe Beautiful is ensuring the health, ease of use, and beauty of this most valuable natural resource,” said Kitty Honeycutt, Executive Director, Ashe County Chamber of Commerce.
CAROLINA CLIMBERS’ COALITION employs trail stewards and leverages community volunteer power to clear fallen trees, rebuild trails, and restoring safe access to the Pace Cliffs Trail in Polk County, NC, the Chimney Rock Village Boulders Trails in Rutherford County, NC, and the Pumpkintown Trail in Pickens County, SC – areas all needing extensive rehabilitation following Hurricane Helene.
“We’re thrilled to learn that the Carolina Climbers Coalition has received a grant from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable to support relief efforts in Pickens County. The Pumpkintown Trail has suffered significant damage from Hurricane Helene and recent wildfires. This funding will play a vital role in restoring the area and ensuring a safer, more enjoyable experience for visitors to our outdoor attractions,” said Tyler Merck, Director of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Pickens County, SC.
BIG CREEK EXPEDITIONS will utilize the funds to repair and restore river access for rafting and the private boating community along the Pigeon River in Tennessee, a major outdoor recreation destination in the state.
SORBA-CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA has been leading efforts clearing fallen debris on trails and replacing signage and waypoints to ensure public safety following Hurricane Helene. The funds will be used to support volunteers in such efforts and repairing decimated trails within the Georgia/South Carolina border area.
“We at SORBA are extremely excited to see that our SORBA-CSRA chapter has received a $5,000 grant to help with their recovery efforts in and around the Augusta area. The team has already accomplished so much with their Operation Clean Helene, by putting in over 6,000 volunteer hours and removing almost 11,000 trees from their trails since the storm. And with this funding, the chapter will further support the volunteer efforts in their community, because there is still a long way to go before the job is done. Thank you, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, for supporting our chapter and providing a great resource for communities across the region to recover,” said Philip Darden, Executive Director, Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association.
FLORIDA TRAIL ASSOCIATION oversees the 1,500 mile Florida National Scenic Trail, which saw catastrophic damage following the storm. The funds will support four volunteer work parties to continue restoration efforts along the storm-impacted sections of the trail, including a 100-mile section from Twin Rivers State Forest to Osceola National Forest.
Florida Trail Association is grateful to our partners at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable for supporting this important work to ensure that those seeking to enjoy the Florida Trail can once again do so safely and, in turn, continue bringing considerable economic impact to the local communities. Our work is also supported by our partners at the U.S. Forest Service and a multitude of other stakeholders, including local non-profits like the Suwannee Bicycle Association, school groups, and county-level departments, and we couldn’t do it without you and them.” said Tisha McCombs, Executive Director, Florida Trail Association.
ABOUT ORR
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations representing the more than 110,000 outdoor businesses in the recreation economy and the full spectrum of outdoor-related activities. The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that outdoor recreation generated $1.2 trillion in economic output (2.3% of GDP), 5 million jobs and comprises 3.1% of U.S. employees.
