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.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
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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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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd