Introduction — Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Rural Economic Development Toolkit

Community Self-Assessment ToolTo assist communities in assessing their opportunities and making a plan, we developed a new rural development self-assessment tool in partnership with Once a Day Marketing in New Mexico.

Author’s Note for Third Edition

This third edition gives the Rural Economic Development Toolkit a permanent home on the web, where anyone can read, share, and print it.

Since the second edition launched in January 2024, ORR has hosted the National Leadership Forum on Rural Development in Pittsburgh, awarded Hurricane Helene rural recovery grants, and released the Trail Map for Rural Development in America, which sets out opportunities in policy, practice, and research for organizations that work with rural communities. This edition weaves the Trail Map’s recommendations throughout, adds new resources and current examples from communities and states, and updates details that have changed since 2024. A full list appears under “New in the Third Edition” below.

Our biggest advice to a prospective outdoor recreation community is to connect with the leaders and communities featured in this toolkit one-on-one. They are brilliant and generous, and will have much advice to impart from their own efforts.

We hope you enjoy this toolkit, and greatly appreciate the support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation for making this third edition possible.

— Chris Perkins, Vice President of Programs, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Rural Development Toolkit Mapping Project — a map of the United States with colored pins marking submitted community locations

Mapping Project (opens in a new tab)Use this link to share your community specific needs with the ORR Rural Development Toolkit Mapping Project.

Communities that submit their information appear on ORR's Rural Development Needs Map, a public map of communities seeking support to grow their recreation economies.

Map not loading? Open it directly.

New in the Third Edition

Below is a list of new resources and topics included in this edition of the toolkit:

Name of Resource/Topic	Location
Permanent, printable website edition of the Toolkit	Throughout Toolkit
Updated Community Self-Assessment Tool (Pre-, Mid- and Post-Assessment)	Throughout Toolkit
Recommendations from ORR's Trail Map for Rural Development in America	Throughout Toolkit
Rural Development Needs Map: a public map of communities seeking support	Introduction
*"The EXPLORE Act: A New Federal Foundation for Outdoor Recreation"*	The Current Reality in Rural America
*"When Disaster Strikes: A State Playbook for Outdoor Recreation Resilience"*	The Current Reality in Rural America; Take on Infrastructure Needs
ORR's Balance Sheet and Workforce Priorities reports	The Outdoor Recreation Economy
Public Health and ORR's America's Outdoor Era vision, with new examples	Make Outdoor Recreation a "Must-Have"
Using AI tools to build capacity	Provide Professional Development
ORR's Rural Grant Programs	Identify Funding Partners
What funders and agencies are being asked to do	Identify Funding Partners
New examples of state investment (Iowa, Connecticut, Michigan, West Virginia)	Achieve Buy-In from the State
Asks to bring to state agencies	Achieve Buy-In from the State
*Resources from the Trail Map for Rural Development in America, by section*	Putting It All Together

New in the Second Edition

Below is a list of new resources and topics included in this edition of the toolkit:

Name of Resource/Topic	Location
Community Self-Assessment Tool	Throughout Toolkit
Happening in My State (Library of outdoor recreation economic development in every state in the country)	Throughout Toolkit
Economic Development and Public Health One-Pagers	Throughout Toolkit
Quotes from new practitioners	Throughout Toolkit
"Lessons from the Field": Case studies on communities and individuals around the country doing great work	Throughout Toolkit
New list of federal grants/technical assistance	Introduction
Examples of outdoor recreation infrastructure	The Outdoor Recreation Economy
New economic impact statistics	The Outdoor Recreation Economy
Breakdown of the outdoor workforce	The Outdoor Recreation Economy
"Deconstructing Economic Development" module	Deconstructing Economic Development
Comparison of Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative models	Build Collaboratives
Advice on working with agencies	Build Collaboratives
Tapping into USDA Rural Development	Build Collaboratives
State-level Public-Public Partnerships	Build Collaboratives
Comparison of binding agreements between collaboratives	Generate Buy-In and Dependability
Upholding Tribal Leadership and Legacies	Generate Buy-In and Dependability
New examples of brand-building in rural communities	Create a Brand
"Funding 101" Module	Identify Funding Partners
*"Using Data to Make the Case"* Module**	Identify Funding Partners
"Utilizing Regional Development Organizations for Greater Impact"	Identify Funding Partners
Detailed descriptions of community funding mixes secured to develop outdoor recreation economies	Identify Funding Partners
Advice for Tribes on Building Collective Influence	Achieve Buy-In from the State
"Housing 101" Module	Plan for Destination Management and Value Capture
Recreation Infrastructure Toolkits and Resources from ORR Members	Take on Infrastructure Needs
Planning for Climate Resilience	Take on Infrastructure Needs
Ensuring Accessibility in Recreation Infrastructure	Take on Infrastructure Needs
Building Equity for Tribal Businesses	Attract and Support Outdoor Businesses
"Managing User Conflict" Module in partnership with the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals	Environmental Impacts and User Conflicts
Library of complete Community Action Plans from Recreation Economy for Rural Communities communities and CU-Boulder student capstones	Putting it All Together

Cover of "Trail Map for Rural Development in America" from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

Funders, agencies, foundations, and businesses that want to support rural recreation communities can start with ORR's Trail Map for Rural Development in America. The Trail Map sets out opportunities in policy, practice, and research for organizations that work with rural communities, in five sections: Education, Community Vision, Financing and Implementation, Resilience, and Innovation.

Read the Trail Map for Rural Development in America (opens in a new tab)

Outdoor recreation helps build diversified and resilient communities and economies around the United States. In recent years, more Americans than ever before have flocked to the outdoors and to the rural communities that are connected to their recreation assets.

Through interviews with over 80 practitioners — including elected officials, government leaders, land managers, community advocates, economic development specialists, and business leaders — the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable has developed this toolkit to help your community build an outdoor recreation economy of its own. As you read, use the navigation at left to click between sections, and be sure to follow linked content to learn more from external resources.

We understand that a variety of users may be using this toolkit.
Which of the following best describes your interest?

I want all the information I can get.
I want to quickly understand why outdoor recreation is valuable to rural communities.
I want to know how to address some of the challenges facing rural recreation communities.
I want to dive into outdoor recreation economic development plans from real communities.
I want to start taking action with limited time.