Forest Service

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

RECREATION

REIMAGINE

September 2023 | FS-1204c

Knowledge-Sharing 

Workshop Summary

CONTENTS

Workshop Overview.................................................................................................................... 1 

A Note from USDA Forest Service Recreation, Heritage, and Visitor Resources Director, Gordie 

Blum........................................................................................................................................... 2

Day 1 – July 18, 2023 ................................................................................................................. 3 

Workshop Welcome ............................................................................................................... 3 

Session 1: Elevating the Recreation Workforce ........................................................................ 4 

Session 2: Equity and Access in Action .................................................................................... 5 

Day 2 – July 19, 2023 ................................................................................................................. 7 

Session 3: Cross-Boundary Collaboration ................................................................................ 7 

Session 4: Recreation to Conservation..................................................................................... 9 

Day 3 – July 20, 2023 ...............................................................................................................10

Session 5: 21st-Century Communication...............................................................................10

Session 6: Reflections and Takeaways....................................................................................12

Workshop Close ...................................................................................................................14

Workshop Links........................................................................................................................14

Session 1: Elevating the Recreation Workforce ......................................................................14

Session 2: Equity and Access in Action ..................................................................................15

Session 3: Cross-Boundary Collaboration ..............................................................................15

Session 4: From Recreation to Conservation ..........................................................................16

Session 5: 21st-Century Communication...............................................................................17

Session 6: Reflections and Takeaways....................................................................................17

Co-Conveners...........................................................................................................................18
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1 

USDA FOREST SERVICE REIMAGINE RECREATION

KNOWLEDGE-SHARING WORKSHOP SUMMARY

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

The Reimagine Recreation: Knowledge-Sharing Workshop was organized by the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service and co-convened by American Trails, 

Leave No Trace, the National Forest Foundation, Next 100 Coalition, Outdoor Alliance, 

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Tread Lightly!, and the Society of Outdoor Recreation 

Professionals. This summary captures and shares a synthesis of discussions held among staff 

and partners during the workshop.

Approximately 155 individuals registered for the workshop, which represented 80 partner 

organizations and reflected a range of groups with interests in recreation on public lands. 

About 30 Forest Service recreation staff attended the workshop and focused on listening and 

brainstorming solutions with partners. Forest Service staff participants represented all levels 

of the organization, from on-the-ground district recreation employees to the National Forest 

System deputy chief. Each of the six sessions was attended by 95 to 120 participants, 

including about 30 Forest Service staff. The partners and staff that participated were 

intentionally chosen to represent different perspectives, ideas, and segments of the 

recreation community to promote a diversity of perspectives during discussions.

The purpose of the workshop was to:

• Share knowledge and learn from one another’s experiences working on complex 

recreation challenges and opportunities on lands the Forest Service manages. 

• Inspire solution-focused brainstorming on recreation issues ripe for national-level 

action by both partners and the Forest Service. 

• Create a space for partners and staff to dissolve barriers to collaboration, illuminate 

shared interests, and improve communication.
2 

A NOTE FROM USDA FOREST SERVICE RECREATION, HERITAGE, AND 

VISITOR RESOURCES DIRECTOR, GORDIE BLUM

This Recreation Knowledge Sharing Workshop clearly displayed that the strength of 

the USDA Forest Service as an agency is fueled by a commitment to the collective 

and that together, we are stronger. The brain trust in the virtual room across the 

three days was impressive and inspiring. Each participant’s contributions reflected 

intentional collaboration in service to a common vision for recreation across the 

lands we help steward. The Reimagine Recreation effort is built on all lands, 

community, and partner-driven collaborative planning aimed at coalescing shared 

interests and maximizing the broadest, “greatest good.” 

Ideas captured from the workshop, in addition to employee input and Tribal 

perspectives, are directly contributing to draft strategic elements for the Reimagine 

Recreation plan. The intent of the forthcoming strategic document (spring 2024) is 

to position ourselves to meet the ever-changing needs of tomorrow and create a 

more welcoming and inclusive environment where all can connect with nature and 

enjoy the mental, spiritual, physical, and economic benefits of outdoor experiences. 

I am humbled by the power of the collective and excited about the future.
3 

DAY 1 – JULY 18, 2023

Workshop Welcome

During the welcoming remarks, participants heard from the following speakers: 

• Alison Koopman, recreation planner for the USDA Forest Service

• Gordie Blum, director of Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources for the 

USDA Forest Service

• Chela Garcia-Irlando, director of the Next 100 Coalition 

• Chris French, deputy chief of the USDA Forest Service (via video: 

https://vimeo.com/846069284)

• Jaqueline Emanuel, associate deputy chief of the USDA Forest Service 

Following are some of the opening remarks:

• This workshop is about building a 

future together to chart a course to 

improve engagement, climate 

resiliency, and equitable access 

for all. 

• Reimagine Recreation was launched 

in 2022 to build upon the 

Framework for Sustainable 

Recreation

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5346549.pdf), with a 

specific focus on developing an updated strategic vision and new national-level 

recreation actions to help achieve it. 

• The conversations that occur during this workshop (and beyond) will help to inform 

Reimagine Recreation outputs. 

• The social, ecologic, and economic benefits of lands managed by the Forest Service 

are immeasurable and widely recognized. The Forest Service wants to ensure public 

lands are cared for and managed in a way that promotes a quality experience 

regardless of financial situation, race and ethnicity, geographic location, or any other 

circumstance. 

• The Forest Service needs to commit to a recognition of treaty rights and Native 

peoples as original stewards of lands. 

“We need to look at the recreation 

ecosystem – recreation is not a 

standalone... it has far-reaching impacts 

to community, resources, and economy.” 

—Workshop participant
4 

• Emphasizing the opportunity to integrate Indigenous leadership into the land 

management decision space and the valuable contributions that Indigenous people

continue to make will enhance the recreation planning process and recreational 

opportunities and experiences across the Forest Service. 

Session 1: Elevating the Recreation Workforce

Participants heard from four presenters who 

shared case studies focused on recreation 

stewardship capacity. The goals of this session 

were to (1) learn about capacity challenges, (2) 

brainstorm how challenges could be overcome 

through collaborative approaches, and (3) 

identify specific examples and solutions to 

improve recreation stewardship 

capacity overall. 

Chris Perkins, senior director of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, shared how the 

organization’s recently released Workforce Hub is addressing recreation workforce issues. 

The goal of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Workforce Hub is to improve policy and to 

reach out to talent and policymakers to understand recreation career paths. Recreation 

careers can vary widely, from positions with daily direct interactions with the public to more 

behind-the-scenes work. Recreation careers include positions among public, private, and 

non-governmental organizations. Mr. Perkins also noted that policymakers are investing in 

outdoor recreation infrastructure and public access like never before and highlighted four 

key elements to improving the recreation workforce: (1) defining outdoor jobs and closing 

the skills gap, (2) increasing the diversity and inclusion of the outdoor industry workforce, 

(3) improving the perceptions of outdoor work, and (4) addressing affordability and housing 

issues associated with recreation jobs. 

Domonique Bulls, Ph.D., associate director of Greening Youth Foundation, presented a case 

study on the Greening Youth Foundation’s Bridge Program. The organization’s mission is to 

work with youth of diverse backgrounds to develop responsible and enthusiastic 

environmental stewards. The Bridge Program creates pathways and a candidate hub focused 

on marginalized communities and those underrepresented in the environmental sector. Both 

candidates and employers have access to the Bridge Program to create a mutually beneficial 

system. The program addresses recreation workforce issues through strategic planning, 

identifying and disseminating job opportunities, recruiting both candidates and employers, 

and improving the employee retention rate. 

Mike Passo, executive director of American Trails, presented a case study on the Trails Skills 

Project. The Trail Skills Project is a collaboration of trail nonprofits, federal agencies, and 

universities launched to serve as the workforce hub for the trails community, providing 

connections to trails education, trail expertise, professional development, and job 

opportunities (trailskills.org). The project was launched to develop a searchable database to 

“There has to be a way to work with 

private partners to streamline 

hiring processes.” 

—Workshop participant
5 

connect trail advocates with skilled individuals, create a credentialing process to verify that 

workers have specific skills, and implement a national marketing campaign to raise 

awareness of the program. 

Matt Caldwell, executive director of Tread Lightly!, presented a case study on the Red Rock 

Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Crew (RROCC). The RROCC, which began in 2021, is a 

coalition of private off-highway(OHV)/all-terrain vehicle businesses and Jeep rental and 

guided tour companies from Cottonwood, Sedona, and Flagstaff, along with Tread Lightly!. 

The group serves as a resource to Forest Service units and helps address challenges in the 

Sedona area by identifying problem areas and working with Forest Service staff and partners 

to reduce resource damage, build recreation infrastructure, and produce educational 

materials for OHV users. 

After the session 1 presentations, participants met in small groups to discuss their takeaways 

and reflections from the case studies. Following are some of their reflections: 

• Representation plays an important role in increasing the diversity of the collective 

recreation workforce. 

• Pursue creative recruiting methods and tools in collaboration with partners and local 

organizations instead of relying only on traditional approaches. 

• Remote work options for recreation positions have increased access to 

recreation careers. 

• Limited housing and high cost of living in areas with high recreation demands has 

caused ongoing workforce and capacity challenges. 

• Recreational employment is increasingly seen as a solid career path rather than a 

temporary job. 

Session 2: Equity and Access in Action

Participants heard stories from four presenters 

who shared stories about their experience with 

equity and access in relation to recreation and 

the outdoors. The goals of this session were to 

(1) understand how people have experienced 

barriers to equity and access to public lands and 

(2) illuminate current work underway to 

overcome barriers and support inclusive recreation and land access. The presentations also 

sought to deepen the understanding of issues, barriers, and opportunities from partner 

perspectives and to identify specific examples and solutions for diversity, equity, and 

inclusion on public lands. 

“Equity-centered work is not always 

going to be comfortable.” 

—Workshop participant
6 

Juan Pérez Sáez, executive director of Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK), shared about 

the work the nonprofit does to take intersectionality, environmental justice, and outdoor

equity from concept to reality. He shared an example of ELK’s work in the Montbello area of

Denver, Colorado. Environmental Learning for Kids works in partnership with the 

community to create community-driven projects, such as the development of the Montbello 

Open Space, which serves as an open space park for learning. Some of ELK’s work focuses on

bringing outdoor green space to neighborhoods and communities rather than bringing 

individuals to far-away outdoor green spaces. 

Holly Knox, recreation program manager for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National

Forests, shared the Forest Service’s work related to deaf community inclusion. The Forest

Service has worked with students who attend the Lexington School for the Deaf for five years

now, and all Forest Service staff members have had the opportunity to take American Sign

Language (ASL) courses. As part of this partnership, the Forest Service and Lexington School

developed an ASL crew that brings together students from various schools to work on

recreation stewardship and conservation projects and experience immersive outdoor

learning opportunities. 

Jaylyn Gough, founder and executive director of Native Women’s Wilderness, shared her

perspective on the powerful relationship between ancestral land and Indigenous people.

Native Women’s Wilderness was created to bring Native women together to share their 

stories, support each other, and learn from one another as they explore and celebrate the 

wilderness and their native lands. Its mission is to “inspire and raise the voices of Native 

Women in the Outdoor Realm, to encourage a healthy lifestyle within the Wilderness, and to 

provide education of the Ancestral Lands and its People.” 

Mike Hill, landscape architect for the Forest Service’s Northern Region, shared his

experience working on the Forest Service’s Sites of Civil Rights and Resistance program in 

the Southern and Eastern Regions. Sites of Civil Rights and resistance identifies diverse 

cultural and archeological sites on Forest Service lands and elevates those stories. In its pilot 

phase, the program has focused on African American historic sites. The Sites of Civil Rights 

and Resistance program aims to develop increased and diversified recreational and 

educational opportunities around significant sites and their histories, improve access to these 

opportunities, and elevate stories that represent our nation’s cultural diversity. 

After listening to the stories and interacting with the presenters in session 2, participants met 

in small groups to discuss their reflections on the stories and experiences that were shared 

and steps their organizations might take to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and 

accessibility. Participants were also encouraged to share ways their organizations are 

meaningfully engaging with and involving underserved communities in the planning, design, 

and implementation of outdoor recreation opportunities and amenities. Following are some 

key takeaways:

• Increasing the diversity of the Forest Service workforce will require commitment and 

openness from agency leadership. 
7 

• The stories that are told on public lands should be inclusive to all, well-informed, and 

developed, with input from the people who the stories are about. 

• Clear and consistent communication between partner organizations and the Forest 

Service is vital to successful, long-term partnerships. 

• Equity-centered work is not going to be comfortable.

• Telling diverse stories is not the role of the Forest Service alone and should be done in 

partnership with other stakeholders, organizations, communities, and individuals. 

DAY 2 – JULY 19, 2023

Session 3: Cross-Boundary Collaboration

During this session, participants heard from a 

panel focused on cross-boundary collaboration. 

The goals of the session were to (1) understand 

how cross-boundary collaboration can help 

solve problems and enhance recreation, (2) 

consider how recreation programs and other 

public lands priorities can work together at 

multiple levels, and (3) identify specific 

examples of how cross-boundary collaboration 

and recreation planning improve public land 

access and management. Following are 

session panelists:

• Rachel Franchina, executive director of 

Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

• Jamie Werner, Rocky Mountain program manager with the National Forest 

Foundation

• Jen Fenwick, Central Colorado projects senior associate with the National Forest 

Foundation

• Stephanie Swepson Twitty, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Market 

Streets Development Corporation 

• Jason McDougald, executive director of Camp Grier

• Lisa Jennings, recreation manager for the Grandfather Ranger District, Pisgah 

National Forest

“Recreation should not be 

separated, but integrated.” 

—Workshop participant

“Make funding work together. By 

deploying funding together, it will 

make it easier for small 

communities trying to build their 

recreation economies.” —Workshop 

participant
8 

• Danna Stroud, regional business development specialist, Central Coals with the State 

of California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

• Omero Torres, recreation staff officer at Willamette National Forest and acting 

deputy forest supervisor at El Yunque National Forest with the Forest Service

These session 3 panelists answered questions about their work with their individual 

organizations and agencies, gaps they’ve noticed when working across boundaries, and ideas 

on how to address those gaps. Following are some key takeaways from the panel discussion: 

• Making connections between recreation, the economy, resource protection, and 

long-term vision spur momentum when working with partners and organizations.

• New projects can generate interest among industries and create reciprocal 

relationships between different entities.

• Focusing on long-term, tangible culture changes rather than short-term successes in 

an industry or agency can create sustainable change.

• Acknowledging the importance of and building transparent communication builds 

trust, furthers relationships, and leads to successful projects and endeavors.

After the panel discussion, session 3 participants gathered in small groups to share their 

reflections from the panel, as well as their own experiences with cross-boundary 

collaboration in the recreation realm. Following are some of their reflections:

• Sharing small successes on the way to achieving a broader vision can help maintain 

momentum to complete long-term projects.

• Cross-boundary collaboration can occur across roles, skill sets, and entities.

• Using a more strategic approach would be beneficial around (1) the types of resources 

that are being dispersed and (2) where resources are shared to decrease competition 

between agencies.
9 

Session 4: Recreation to Conservation

During this session, participants heard short talks from three presenters. The goals of the 

session were to (1) learn how recreation is being leveraged to increase land stewardship, (2) 

discuss proactive visitor use management, and (3) identify opportunities to market, educate, 

and otherwise adjust recreation pursuits to contribute to stewardship needs. 

Rachel Franchina, executive director for 

the Society of Outdoor Recreation 

Professionals, introduced the topic with 

remarks on desired conditions and visitor 

use management. As part of her talk, 

Rachel stated that we can start changing the 

conversation from people being apart from 

nature to being a part of nature. 

Scott Ammerman, Tread Lightly! program 

manager for the Northeast Region, shared his experiences promoting stewardship projects 

and conservation education. Most recently, Quadratec’s 50 for 50 Stewardship Program aims 

to complete one stewardship project in each state that enhances or improves not only offroad access, but access to public lands in general. Tread Lightly! and Quadratec recognize 

that one of the best ways to promote responsible outdoor recreation is to support enthusiasts 

in the stewardship of their favorite areas. With the help of licensing agreements from some of 

Tread Lightly!’s top partners, the Tread Lightly! grants are designed to help individuals and 

groups organize cleanups, trail maintenance work days, and other small stewardship 

projects. 

Sheena Pate, executive director for the Flathead Rivers Alliance, shared information about a 

River Recreation Monitoring program and how monitoring allows us to understand river use 

and the ways it changes over time. Monitoring from the river (rather than land) provided a 

unique perspective to the Flathead Rivers. Partner-driven science and data collection was 

well received by the Forest Service thanks to early investment in collaborative working 

relationships.

JD Tanner, director of education and training with Leave No Trace, shared how the Leave 

No Trace framework provides guidance on minimizing the impact recreationists have as they 

interact with the world. This framework can help foster a mindset of respect, responsibility, 

and mindfulness with recreational pursuits. This framework also encourages recreation 

stewardship activities to be integrated into recreation pursuits, such as citizen and 

community science projects and youth education and enrichment. 

After the session 4 presentations and a short question-and-answer session, participants 

joined in a world café activity during which they focused on three topics related to recreation 

and conservation: (1) visitor use management, (2) education, and (3) leveraging recreation to 

“Lack of any mandate that ensures 

recreation is considered with things like 

restoration projects is leading to real 

problems on the ground.” —Workshop 

participant
10

advance conservation goals. Following are some of the participant discussions during 

this activity: 

• Visitor use management data can be leveraged to make informed decisions about 

improving recreation and other infrastructure. This type of data should be part of 

infrastructure investment conversations.

• Informing and educating visitors before they arrive at recreation sites is crucial.

Conservation messaging can be woven into visitor communications before

visitors arrive. 

• Recreation and conservation organizations need to consider the perspectives and 

voices of Native American Tribes and respect Tribal wishes on how to use and manage 

public lands. 

DAY 3 – JULY 20, 2023

Session 5: 21st-Century Communication

During this session, participants heard from three presenters who shared perspectives and 

experiences about recreation-focused data and communication. The purpose of this session 

was to (1) discuss the modern recreation 

needs of visitors and stewards, (2) highlight 

data needed to understand recreation, (3) 

underscore communication and 

information access needs, and (4) identify 

collaborative solutions to address 

communication, data, and information 

access needs related to recreation. 

Mike Passo, executive director of American 

Trails, introduced the topic by discussing 

communications and data needs in 

recreation with an accessibility lens. By clearly communicating specific, objective data about 

recreation opportunities and infrastructure, all visitors, but particularly visitors with 

disabilities, can make informed decisions about how and where they are able to recreate 

based on their abilities. While data gathering is often resource intensive, it is a good 

opportunity to work with volunteers and partners. 

Scott Haas, national dispersed recreation program manager with the Forest Service, spoke on 

the Modernizing Access to Our Public Land (MAPLand) Act. The MAPLand Act directs the 

Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to 

jointly develop and adopt interagency standards to ensure that federal databases are 

compatible across agencies and allow for the collection and sharing of outdoor recreation 

“Without a narrative accompanying data 

sets, data itself has limited utility.” 

—Workshop participant

“We must share and show positive 

results.” —Workshop participant
11

data related to federal lands. This data shows locations at which recreation uses are available 

to the public. 

Alison Koopman, landscape architect and recreation planner for the Forest Service’s Eastern 

Region and co-lead of the Reimagine Recreation effort, discussed the Forest Service’s 

Missouri Outdoor Connections project

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mtnf/workingtogether/partnerships/?cid=fseprd1088705). 

The goal of the project is to advance cross-jurisdictional, cross-sectoral partnerships through 

application of the Stewardship Mapping and Assessment (STEW-MAP) framework across 

central and southern Missouri. The project will help build collaborative relationships; create 

an online geospatially specific database of stewards, from small grassroots organizations to 

large federal agencies; and bring visibility to the spatial and social interactions that connect 

these groups.

Adam Cramer, chief executive officer of Outdoor Alliance, discussed how data-driven 

narratives can accelerate policy change, improve decision-making, and increase economic 

benefits. The power of data is in the story it tells. Likewise, stories must be supported by 

credible and timely data. When sharing data with partners, organizations, stakeholders, and 

communities, it is important to pair data with a narrative so the data tells a story instead of 

becoming a distraction. These narratives should be rooted in specific places or types of places 

and tell experiences that are sustainable, restorative, equitable, and inclusive. 

After listening to the presentations, session 5 participants joined in a world café activity in 

which they discussed two topics: (1) web-based communications and access and (2) data 

collection and sharing. Discussions were focused on sharing successes and identifying 

solutions to existing issues. Following are some key takeaways from the discussions: 

• Different styles of communication are needed to reach different generations and 

backgrounds.

• Working with partners to communicate data or other information can be beneficial 

because partners can typically share information faster than agencies due to the 

specific focuses of each organization. 

• In addition to quantitative data, qualitative or story-telling data is important to gather, 

understand, and share. 

• Consolidate and streamline public communication to create a “one-stop shop" for 

trip-planning information and data.

• Identify communication strategies and tools that have worked well for the Forest 

Service and partner organizations to serve as a model for recreation programs moving 

forward. 

• Create a web-based communication platform for partners to share information.
12

Session 6: Reflections and Takeaways

During this session, participants heard from Penny Wu, assistant director of the Forest 

Service’s Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources program. Assistant Director Wu 

shared three important messages for employees and partners:

1. Let your passion drive the change 

you want to see. Each person and 

organization can play a role in 

reimagining the future of outdoor 

recreation.

2. Reimagination will require getting 

out of your comfort zone to explore 

new and unfamiliar relationships 

and work.

3. Collaboration will be key 

throughout all stages of Reimagine 

Recreation, from planning to 

implementation. Let’s stay connected.

Nora Campbell, strategic planner with the Forest Service and assistant lead of the Reimagine 

Recreation effort, shared key considerations and themes that arose throughout the week: 

• Recreation is part of a larger ecosystem and should be woven together with other 

issues and interests, from wildland fire and fire management to economic 

development.

• “Everyone who steps into the natural world has the tool to develop an 

environmental ethic.”

• Agency and organizational culture matters! Forest Service staff need to be 

consistently supported to show up as a great partner. This includes fostering a 

culture of transparency and willingness to share responsibility from the highest 

levels of the agency.

• Cross-boundary collaboration requires that we depend on one another’s strengths 

and engage partners and organizations to fill the gaps.

• Agency staffing levels and turnover negatively impact relationships. The Forest 

Service should invest in “professionalizing” the recreation workforce, streamline 

hiring processes using private partners, engage in transition planning, and 

coordinate with local governments on shared issues such as limited housing.

• Recreation funding is challenging and requires stability, flexibility, and 

streamlining.

“Open the vault. Encourage 

transparency so partners can 

understand what units really need.”

—Workshop participant

“We would appreciate more informal 

opportunities to innovate early.”

—Workshop participant
13

• Data can convey great meaning, especially when framed as part of achieving 

collective goals.

• Equity-centered work is not easy work. We must commit to take up this challenge 

together, embrace tough conversations, and deepen our relationship with the 

history of the land.

• The Forest Service should base recreation planning and stewardship work in 

community, place, and relationships. 

• “Recreation management is an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

Session 6 participants were then asked to participate in a “recommendations roll-up.” During 

this activity, participants were moved into small groups of approximately six to eight 

individuals for 20 minutes to identify two challenge areas and potential solutions based on 

the above themes, as well as what they’d heard over the last five sessions. 

After the small groups identified their challenges and potential solutions, those initial groups 

were then merged to form larger groups of approximately 11 to 12 individuals to further 

refine the challenges and solutions they’d like to bring to the whole group. Following are 

some of the challenges and solutions that were identified during this activity: 

• Transition planning, for when individuals move in and out of positions, is key to 

reducing the knowledge loss that often accompanies this change. 

• Hiring systems can be improved by taking a more local approach to hiring, 

decentralizing the overall hiring process, and improving employee benefits such as 

housing and childcare. 

• Partnerships and relationships should be built and strengthened before they are 

needed; additional capacity and technical assistance are needed to do this work.

The whole group was then invited to share their overall takeaways from the three days of 

the workshop. 
14

Workshop Close

The workshop closed with remarks from the following speakers: 

• Chela Garcia-Irlando, director of 

Next 100 Coalition, spoke on the 

need to follow through with 

discussions from this week and how 

these conversations will shape the 

future of the recreation world. 

• Gordie Blum, director of the Forest Service’s Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer 

Resources program, expressed gratitude for all the participants and their willingness 

to come together and share knowledge during this workshop and moving forward.

• Alison Koopman, landscape architect and recreation planner for the Forest Service’s 

Eastern Region and co-lead of the Reimagine Recreation effort, also expressed thanks 

for all participants and shared information about how input gathered during the 

workshop would be used to inform Reimagine Recreation going forward. 

WORKSHOP LINKS

Speakers and attendees in the virtual workshop chat shared the following links, which

provide information about recreation case studies and other successful projects referred to 

during the workshop. 

Session 1: Elevating the Recreation Workforce

• Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Workforce Hub: 

https://recreationroundtable.org/resources/workforce-hub/

• Headwaters Economics, “The Amenity Trap: How high-amenity communities can 

avoid being loved to death”: https://headwaterseconomics.org/outdoorrecreation/amenity-trap/

• Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewardship, The Bridge Program: 

https://www.wildernessstewards.org/the-bridge-program

• USDA Rural Development, “Housing Solutions in Rural Recreation Communities”: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNyooec1-eE

• Trail Skills Project: https://www.trailskills.org/

“Recreation is part of the solution.” 

—Workshop participant
15

Session 2: Equity and Access in Action

• Native Women’s Wilderness: https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/

• USDA Forest Service, “The Segregationist Past of the ‘Green Pastures’ Recreation 

Site”: https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/segregationist-past-green-pasturesrecreation-site

Session 3: Cross-Boundary Collaboration

• Outdoor Alliance, “Wildfire and Outdoor Recreation in the West”: 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54aabb14e4b01142027654ee/t/649dcd388c9db

f73648c777d/1688063291777/WildfireAndRecreation-WhitePaper-OutdoorAllianceDigital.pdf

• California’s Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation & Wildfire Resilience: 

o https://mltpa.org/images/downloads/025_34_CalRecVision_Final_2021_WEB.

pdf

o https://wildfiretaskforce.org/about/action-areas/sustainable-accessiblerecreation/

• Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, Catawba Vale Collaborative, and 

Pisgah National Forest: 

o https://www.eaglemarketsts.org/

o https://southernfutures.unc.edu/catawba-vale-collaborative/

o https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/creating-community

• The history of the Old Fort collaboration: 

https://wncmagazine.com/feature/developing_within

• Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) and webinar recordings: 

o https://www.recpro.org

o https://www.recpro.org/webinars

• National Forest Foundation, Chaffee County All Lands Camping: 

https://www.nationalforests.org/regional-programs/rocky-mountain-region/chaffeecounty-all-lands-camping

• National Forest Foundation, Centennial Program Visioning Process: 

https://www.nationalforests.org/regional-programs/rocky-mountainregion/centennial-program
16

• National Forest Foundation, Colorado 14ers: 

o https://www.14ers.org/stay-informed/colorado-14ers-statewide-report-card/

o https://www.nationalforests.org/who-we-are/press-news/new-fourteenercampaign-improves-trail-conditions-through-collaboration-andinnovation#:~:text=In%202017%2C%20the%20National%20Forest%20Founda

tion%20(NFF)%20invested,%E2%80%93%20Mount%20Elbert%2C%20Pikes%

20Peak%20and%20Quandary%20Peak

• Cascade Volunteers, Nonprofit Partner of the Willamette National Forest: 

https://cascadevols.org/

• USDA Forest Service, Ocoee and Hiwassee Rivers Corridor Management Plan: 

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/environmental/scenic_byways/7.%20Ocoee

%20Scenic%20Byway%20CMP.pdf

• USDA Forest Service, Dispersed Camping Management Project: 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/be727954201e4fb18fb7cf3a3eb53080

• Colorado Youth Corps (OHV focus): https://vimeo.com/809197593

Session 4: From Recreation to Conservation 

• Interagency Visitor Use Management Council: 

https://visitorusemanagement.nps.gov/

• Flathead Rivers Alliance: https://www.flatheadrivers.org/

• Washington Trails Association, “Silver Star Vision Plan as a North Star for the Future 

of a Special Area”: https://www.wta.org/news/signpost/silver-star-vision-plan-is-anorth-star-for-future-of-a-special-area

• Society for Wilderness Stewardship, Alpine Lakes Collaborative: 

https://www.wildernessstewardship.org/alc

• The Journal of Wildlife Management, “Are Wildlife Recreationists Conservationists?”: 

https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jwmg.855

• The Wilderness Society, “The Public Lands Curriculum”: 

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/public-lands-united-states-curriculum

• Recreate Responsibly: https://www.recreateresponsibly.org/

• Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, “2023–2028 Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex 

Education Plan”: https://www.bmwf.org/dispatches/2023/4/10/2023-2028-bobmarshall-wilderness-complex-education-plan
17

Session 5: 21st-Century Communication

Topic 1: Web-Based Communications and Access – Successes and Solutions 

• Colorado Trail Explorer: https://trails.colorado.gov/

• California Transit to Trails Act of 2021: 

https://gomez.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2388

• Nelson Holland Instagram @fatblackandgettinit: 

https://www.instagram.com/fatblackandgettinit/

• American Whitewater Map: 

https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-index

Topic 2: Data Collection and Sharing – Successes and Solutions 

• Colorado Latino Climate Justice Policy Handbook: https://conservationco.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/11/11.17-V2-PROTEGETE_HANDBOOK.pdf

• Washington Trails Association, “Better Data. Better Trails. Trip Reports Matter More 

Than You Think”: https://www.wta.org/news/magazine/features/better-data-bettertrails

• Adventure Scientists, Wild and Scenic Rivers: 

https://www.adventurescientists.org/rivers.html

• National Rivers Project: http://www.nationalriversproject.com/

• Trail Angeles: https://trailangeles.org/

• Headwaters Economics, socioeconomic profiles tool: 

https://headwaterseconomics.org/tools/forest-indicators/

• Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act (MAPLand): 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3113 

Session 6: Reflections and Takeaways

• North-Central Colorado, NoCo PLACES 2050: https://www.nocoplaces2050.com/

• White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire: 

o https://goeast.ems.com/crowds-white-mountains/ 

o https://www.wta.org/news/signpost/release-of-popular-hiking-featurerecommender-2022-personalized-hikes 
18

o https://www.denver7.com/news/our-colorado/app-aims-to-tackle-trailheadparking-woes-in-jeffersoncounty#:~:text=An%20app%20called%20'Lot%20Spot,cars%20that%20are%20

parked%20illegally 

• DARCI Decision-Making Model: https://www.trec.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/05/DARCI-Decision-Making-Model-v520.pdf

CO-CONVENERS

American Trails: https://www.americantrails.org/

Leave No Trace: https://lnt.org/

National Forest Foundation: https://www.nationalforests.org/

Next 100 Coalition: next100coalition.org

Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable: https://recreationroundtable.org/

Tread Lightly!: https://treadlightly.org/

Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals: www.recpro.org
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Front Cover Photo: A hiker enjoys a mountain reflection in 

the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah. Photo by 

Pattiz Brothers.