Opinion
Op-ed: Booming Recreation Economy
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Mary Sexton
While our legislators and Congress are tackling big issues, let’s take a look at what really makes Montana tick, and for many people, that’s recreation. And, it ain’t just about huntin’ and fishin’ anymore.
Recreation on our public lands is not only what many of us do, even on cold, winter days, it’s also a true economic driver in Montana. At a roundtable discussion on recreation and the economy in Missoula a few months ago, folks from bike touring companies, GPS mapping businesses, IT groups, and gear makers to local city council representatives talked about the need to keep recreation opportunities alive and well because businesses thrive on recreation and tourism.
Plus, business people say that potential employees come to and stay in Montana because they can enjoy the great outdoors. People love to hike, trail run, paddleboard, ski, snowmobile, ride horses, as well as hunt and fish.
And visitors to Montana love our public recreational and outdoor assets. Glacier and Yellowstone national parks break visitation records every year. Over the past six years, use of our state parks has increased almost 50 percent from both in-state and out-of-state visitors. It’s estimated that 64,000 jobs in Montana are directly related to recreation while consumer spending amounts to $5.8 billion.
As we see this boom, many of the folks who share common interests in recreation—public lands advocates, traditional hunters and anglers, tourism businesses, local chambers of commerce—do not talk to each other as well as they might.
Gov. Steve Bullock has proposed an Office of Outdoor Recreation to bring more determined focus to issues surrounding the recreation economy. Other states have successfully used such an office to bring folks together, to give attention to infrastructure needs, access, and business support.
With federal funding for maintenance of infrastructure on public lands declining, and funding for state parks some of the lowest in the nation, our booming recreation economy faces some tough challenges ahead. If we don’t cooperate, talk to each other and work together better, we are harming what we truly love about Montana and an important economic sector: recreation!
Mary Sexton is the vice-chair for the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board. She lives in Choteau, Montana.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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