Northern New England — specifically, Vermont and New Hampshire — has seen stagnant or declining populations for much of the last decade. Young people, due to a variety to factors, are the fastest-declining demographic group. As a number of recent Valley News articles have described, the low unemployment rate in our region does not help the situation.
It has been stated that economic growth is impossible without demographic growth. Some of our state’s largest philanthropic entities, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation, have developed programs designed to foster economic development by engaging with the younger demographic to find meaningful and long-term employment, with the ultimate goal of keeping them in the region and the workforce.
Across the country, communities are beginning to understand the economic value of developing outdoor recreational opportunities. Direct spending at outdoor retailers and service providers (including gear outlets and manufacturers, guide services and marketing firms that specialize in outdoor recreation) as well as trip expenditures (including meals, gas, and hotels) add up to a whopping $2.5 billion annually in consumer spending. Nationally, the $646 billion outdoor recreation industry is now being measured as part of the nation’s gross national product.
In recent years, the Upper Valley Trails Alliance has been involved in launching a number of regional initiatives with the goal of expanding the rural recreation economy and stemming the exodus of our workforce:
■ The Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (of which the UVTA’s development director, Randy Richardson, serves as chairman) is a statewide organization that serves as the voice for recreation, trails and conservation in partnership with public land managers in Vermont.
In 2016, the VTGC performed an economic impact assessment of how trails affect the economy of Vermont. Through studying four trail organizations in the state, the council determined that the total economic activity supported by trail use in the state annually was nearly $31 million. This study led to Vermont Gov. Phil Scott establishing the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative by executive order. VOREC’s directive is to enhance business opportunities, improve participation in outdoor recreation, strengthen recreational infrastructure and stewardship of natural resources and grow Vermont’s economy in a manner consistent with Vermont’s strong outdoor culture of respect and sustainability.
■ In 2017, the Conservation Fund and the Appalachian Mountain Club launched the Human Powered Recreation Value Chain initiative in Coos County, N.H., to build and strengthen the human-powered recreation economy. The overall goal of the initiative is to build wealth in local communities by strengthening existing assets such as trails, small businesses, marketing initiatives or partnerships; provide technical assistance programs and collaboratives; and design strategies to address gaps such as in accessible online trail map data. The UVTA is working directly with this initiative to assist in the promotion of accessible trail map data.
■ Next month, the Northern Forest Regional Symposium will focus on the topic of “Our Outdoor Recreation Economy: Trends and Opportunities for our Region’s People, Communities, and Landscape” at Bretton Woods. The three-day conference will look at regional and national trends in outdoor recreation as well as the role of outdoor recreation as a critical economic driver. I am proud to say that UVTA’s Trail Finder will be a featured resource at the conference.
■ Launched by UVTA in 2014, Trail Finder (www.trailfinder.info) is a free, comprehensive online database that features more than 500 trail systems in Vermont and New Hampshire. It is the go-to resource for all trail-related information in the Twin State region.
With more trails being added every month, users can easily find trails in their local area or anywhere they visit in Vermont and New Hampshire. The site offers vital trail data such as use, type, length, directions to trailheads, photos and trail descriptions. Trail Finder also allows users to download trail data to a smartphone or GPS unit.
Most importantly, Trail Finder was built with land owners and trail managers in mind. Every trail was vetted by its trail manager and was only posted with the explicit permission of that trail manager.
For nearly 20 years, the UVTA has been the leader for trails in the region. Now the UVTA is taking a lead role in promoting the vital importance of trails in developing and improving the economies of our beautiful states.
This fall and winter, please use Trail Finder to find a trail to explore, enjoy your time outdoors and remember to visit the local general store to buy some snacks, have a local meal, and contribute to the rural recreation economy that makes our region a wonderful place to live, work, and play.
I look forward to seeing you out on the trails.
Russell Hirschler is executive director of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, a regional organization dedicated to trails. Visit www.uvtrails.org for more information.