Great American Outdoors Act

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2. Vermont Congressman Discusses Economic Stability Of Outdoor Recreation Industry

The Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance recently held its annual membership meeting. The virtual session featured comments from the state’s at-large Congressman who talked about federal pandemic support and the recently passed Great American Outdoors Act.

The Outdoor Business Alliance is a group of 70 businesses and organizations representing outdoor recreation businesses across Vermont. An October report the group submitted to the Governor’s office notes that in May most businesses in the sector “...had experienced full or partial closure, significant losses in revenue, increased costs due to precautionary measures, and shifts in workforce, supply chain and operations.” Even with those difficulties amid the pandemic the report adds: “Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy enters fall in a much stronger financial position.”

During their November meeting, Democratic Congressman Peter Welch told the alliance he is getting through the pandemic by enjoying Vermont’s outdoor opportunities and understands the industry has made enormous adjustments under immense financial pressure. “One of the things that is accessible and available to all of us is being outdoors and doing things outdoors. And there’s so many different kinds of activities and then, oh by the way, there’s real economic benefits to the work that you do. In Vermont I understand from the last audit that we had it was about 20,000 jobs and about $1.7 Billion. And the need for us to be able to spend more time outdoors is greater now than ever compared with pre-COVID.”

https://www.wamc.org/post/vermont-congressman-discusses-economic-stability-outdoor-recreation-industry