One of the very best things about life in Central Washington is the great outdoors.  Biking, hiking, hunting, boating and so much more makes this region a mecca for outdoor fun.Outdoor recreation

Phil Walter/Getty Images
Phil Walter/Getty Images
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across the state directly supports 227,000 jobs and generates more than $22 billion in annual spending on things like equipment, lodging and apparel.

While Yakimaniacs know and appreciate the outdoor opportunities, not all do.  Enter the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation which today announced its recommendations to increase participation in outdoor recreation and to grow Washington’s outdoor industry.

The task force encourages 12 actions to be taken in the near future to increase participation in outdoor recreation and the resulting social and economic benefits.

Some of the task force’s recommendations are:

Establish a high-level, focused coordinating council to serve as the state’s cross-agency outdoor recreation leader.

  • Fund more programs that expose kids to the wonders of the outdoors. The task force recommended that the state fund the No Child Left Inside grant program and include outdoor recreation in classroom curriculum.
  • Eliminate policy and tax barriers that prevent access to outdoor recreation, such as changing the state tax policy to encourage owners of large boats to stay longer in Washington waters.
  • Establish an outdoor industry sector lead at the Department of Commerce, just like the state does for the aerospace industry and the maritime industry. The task force also recommended that the state designate and support outdoor recreation as a specific industry cluster within Washington’s economic development strategy. This will encourage policy-makers to work with businesses to evolve economic development strategies that more deliberately grow employment and outdoor businesses.
  • Recognize that outdoor recreation is an essential government service and needs to receive more funding. The task force recommended several potential sources of revenue to fund state parks, state recreation lands managed by other state agencies and the other recommendations in the report.
  • Retain current law that allows local agencies to use real estate excise taxes to maintain local parks.

More information about the task force can be found at the Recreation and Conservation Office website.

 

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