Easton has launched a statewide initiative to help outdoor businesses thrive in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry already contributes nearly $17 billion to the state’s economy. The new statewide initiative launched Monday in Easton aims to encourage more businesses to share wealth and prosper.

State and local officials joined Easton small business owners in introducing Elevatecampaign to promote the outdoor recreation industry in Pennsylvania.

“Elevate is a community engagement program designed to unite our outdoor businesses in Pennsylvania and elevate our great outdoor industry,” said Nathan Rayner, director of outdoor recreation for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “We need to hear from the outdoor tourism business about what your needs are – what advocacy needs you have, what support needs you have – and how we can work together to improve business-to-business relationships, remove barriers to growth, we can develop our outdoor activities. workforce, empower our outdoor entrepreneurs, and drive innovation in our outdoor industry.”

Under the leadership of Governor Josh Shapiro, DCNR and the state Department of Community and Economic Development, through the Appalachian Regional Commission, shared a $200,000 initiative management grant awarded to the South Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission. This is a year-long project that aims to engage outdoor recreation business owners starting with survey.

“We will contact these businesses and ask them to contribute to the survey,” Rayner said. “And as the engagement agenda moves forward, we will be looking for leaders to step up and help organize across different sectors of the industry.”

Easton Outdoor Co., an outdoor gear supplier based at 230 Northampton St., held an Elevate presentation Monday. As a “producer,” Rayner explained, it is one of three classes of outdoor business he calls the “three Ps,” along with “suppliers” and “professionals.”

These facilities employ more than 164,000 people, according to DCNR. Together they added $16.9 billion to the value of Pennsylvania’s economy in 2022through their gross output, employment and wages, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. The sector was the eighth largest in the country, according to the report, and Pennsylvania was behind only California, Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois, Washington State and Ohio.

“Our business is more than just a gear store,” Easton Outdoor owner Adam Fairchild said after opening 13 years ago and expanding about 2 1/2 years ago. “We’re not just here for you to come and buy a product, and we’re not just here to charge you money for that product. Our employees truly are ambassadors for open space. We help direct people to those outdoor spaces where they can go and enjoy the products that we sell, but just enjoy the outdoor resources that we have.”

The supplier category was represented by Karen Prieto, owner of Twin Rivers Tubing. They just finished their 11th season, seven of which were in Philipsburg before New Jersey stopped issuing commercial use permits, she explained. Easton has welcomed the business into the town’s economy, and River Tubers can now show off their Twin Rivers bracelet to receive a discount from participating businesses.

“We realized that by coming here, we were part of a bigger picture,” Prieto said. “When people come out of the river, they are hungry and thirsty. And they began to use the city. And we started hearing from restaurants: “Wow, we see a lot of your customers.” How do we continue to do this?”

Hearst Magazines Editorial Director Bill Strickland spoke Monday on behalf of the outdoor business professional category. He spoke of the Lehigh Valley’s natural resources, which have helped him fill positions testing and profiling equipment ranging from running shoes to outdoor pizza ovens at five brands in the Hearst Enthusiast Group, located across South Third Street from Easton City Hall.

“You know, this is the kind of in-demand class of workers that cities need right now,” he said. “And it’s helped me recruit people because we’re close to these outdoor amenities. People are looking for housing, food, art, music and other social culture, as well as access to fresh air. Because of this, we were able to hire people from Brooklyn; from Portland, Oregon; from Austin – all over the country. People from all over the country come to Easton because they see what we have here.”

Rayner established numerous businesses in Pennsylvania dedicated to celebrating nature through activities such as biking, boating, hiking, and hunting; gardening and outdoor concerts; and construction, travel and tourism, local travel and government spending. He mentioned national brands such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Zippo, Kate’s Real Food Bars and FishUSA; small businesses such as Easton Outdoor Co., Philadelphia bike shop VeloJawn and 3 Rivers Outdoors Co. in Pittsburgh; global companies with North American headquarters in Pennsylvania such as OM System and BikeCo; and domestic innovators such as Gilson Snow, Purple Lizard Maps, DiamondBack Truck Covers and Brokenstraw Outdoors.

“Now is the time to help them unite; make sure we understand their needs, their problems, their opportunities; Make sure people who live near Pennsylvania come here and spend their money,” said Neil Fowler, executive director of DCED’s Center for Strategic Partnerships.

Collectively, Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation businesses are supporting healthier, more vibrant communities in places like Northampton County, which is investing $25 million, according to County Executive Lamont McClure and Easton City Council members Ken Brown and Frank Pintabone. in land conservation.

“It’s all connected, and that’s what makes our state such a great place to live,” said state Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton.

Outdoor businesses can learn more about Raise a poll available at elevatoroutdoorspa.com. Next steps for Elevate also include regional hearings, Rayner said: “We will convene all of our outdoor businesses to discuss common needs and brainstorm ways the industry can come together and support itself.”

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein can be contacted at: [email protected].