Project Description Subsequent NEORWG meetings have focused on regional identification and alignment of Extension faculty conducting outdoor recreation-related programming. The expectation is that each region could identify synergies where, in partnership with the RRDCs, pilot programming to support the MOU could be proposed. With limited Extension resources to support the outdoor economy, NEORWG members have agreed that the first step should be to conduct a national assessment of Extension’s current and potential role in developing recreation economies. Thus, in partnership with the RRDCs, a feasibility study was proposed to assess the capacity of the Land Grant Universities (LGUs) to provide both Extension and research support for the development of recreation economies, and to determine the best places in each RRDC region to deploy resources for program implementation to align capacity and interest among the agencies to achieve outcomes similar to those realized by the Mon Forest Towns Partnership. A national assessment of the role of Extension and the RRDCs was proposed to identify hotspots in each region where pilot implementation projects to improve coordination of programs and services to gateway communities and recreation industry stakeholders would be highly likely to succeed. Methodology This project was funded by a New Technologies in Ag Extension grant awarded to West Virginia University Extension Service by the Extension Foundation. A survey was developed using Qualtrics survey software by Doug Arbogast, Rural Tourism Specialist, West Virginia University Extension Service with input from NEORWG members and the Northeast and Southern RRDCs. The survey was distributed by RRDC Directors to Extension Community Development Program Leaders at 1862, 1890, and 1994 LGUs in states with a National Forest. Data were collected from May –June 2024. The survey included questions designed to explore Extension’s current and potential capacity to support a recreation economy development process, current and potential research opportunities related to the recreation economy, and what additional Extension and research activities could be conducted with additional funding.
Results Forty-two survey responses were received from LGUs (seven from the Northeast region, seventeen from the Southern region, eight from the North Central region, and ten from the Western region). LGUs were divided into three categories based on their current capacity and a map was produced to highlight the survey findings and identify the locations of Forest Service and USDA Rural Development offices. A total of fourteen LGUs either are currently engaged with their National Forest Gateway communities, have current expertise and capacity to engage in Extension’s role directly, or would be willing to reallocate existing resources to support this work. An additional twenty- five LGUs are interested but would need external funding to support increasing capacity to engage. Three LGUs said this work does not fit into their current Extension priorities. Regarding research on recreation economies, faculty at twenty-five LGUs are already conducting research in National Forest gateway communities. Twenty-one LGUs have either Extension or academic faculty with research expertise that could be applied to forest gateway communities but would need external funding to support this work. Seven LGUs do not currently have expertise or capacity for research related to developing recreation economies in forest gateway communities but would be willing to increase their capacity and expertise if external funding were available to support this. Two LGUs indicated that research on recreation economies is not a current priority.
Land-Grant University Capacity to Support Recreation Economies in National Forest Gateway Communities
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