Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office

The Colorado Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit (COILS) is at capacity! You can still register but will be added to the waitlist. We’re just one month away, and we already have a full house of attendees—many of whom are new to COILS! At our summit, you’ll connect and collaborate with other outdoor enthusiasts who engage with the outdoors in various capacities, including: ‣ Health ‣ Education & Workforce ‣ Economic Development ‣ Access & Opportunity ‣ Conservation & Stewardship When we come together as a community, we build momentum to create and sustain an outdoor industry that helps our communities and our state thrive. Waitlist Registration: https://bit.ly/3XrRTjz We can't wait to see everyone there! 🙌 #COILS2024 #Outdoors #Conference #Colorado

The Regional Partnerships Initiative continues to grow! Following $1.3 million in awarded grant funding, there are now 20 partnerships covering 75% of Colorado. First launched in 2021, the Initiative funds regional coalitions that bring broad interests together to ensure that Colorado’s lands, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing for equitable and quality outdoor recreation experiences. Learn more about the most recent grant awards here: https://bit.ly/4g4SmiY

We are thrilled to announce and welcome our new Marketing and Operations Coordinator, Frida Silva! 🎉 Frida is a marketing communications specialist with years of experience working in marketing agencies serving nonprofits and mission-driven causes. She is as energetic, determined, and passionate about the Colorado outdoors as we are. "As someone who works to bring underrepresented communities to the outdoors, I am excited to advance and amplify OREC'S mission of championing communities to come to life through Colorado's great outdoors." We are excited to have her passion, creativity, and strategic expertise on the team. Welcome Frida! 🙌 #WelcomeToTheTeam

This is the final week to submit an application for the 2025 OREC Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP)! Between RTAP and the Recreation Economies for Rural Communities (RERC) program, now is a great time for communities interested in developing their OREC economies to apply for free planning assistance! Are you unsure which program is right for your community? The deliverables of both processes are the same, but RERC is a longer process spanning roughly 9 months of steering committee meetings including an in-person, 2.5 day workshop. By comparison, the RTAP process spans roughly six months (Spring educational semester) and includes a 1.5 day workshop. For RERC, the EPA hires a team of professional consultants to coordinate steering committee and workshop meetings. Through RTAP, CU-Boulder graduate students serve in this role. An additional benefit of RTAP is free support provided by the CSU Extension up to two years following the published Community Action Plan. If you apply for RERC, you should have a clear idea of the assets, challenges, opportunities, and threats facing your community and its outdoor recreation economy. Furthermore, you should have strong buy-in from community members who can set aside their differences enough to engage in conversations about the future of their town. Applications that do not demonstrate buy-in from community leaders (particularly local government) are not likely to succeed. The same considerations apply for RTAP, but this program operates better for communities that may be "starting from scratch" in considering outdoor recreation as a potential economic driver. Furthermore, RTAP is a better fit for communities that are ready to begin these discussions in the next six months. In the past, RERC has begun work roughly one year after application deadlines. There is no cost for either program. Applications for RTAP are due on August 31, 2024 and communities will be selected by October 2024. You can apply and learn more by visiting the link below. https://lnkd.in/gDd2Ywqu Applications for RERC are due on October 16, 2024. You can learn more and sign up for an upcoming informational webinar by visiting the link below. https://lnkd.in/g6jyBfK

Our team had a great time attending #WestSlopeStartupWeek in Durango this week! Congratulations to Town Hall Outdoor Co and Gnara for receiving funding through the Startup Colorado Pitch Competition on Wednesday! We also had the pleasure of attending the #RuralIsRad Happy Hour to support rural, outdoor brands through community and networking. Thank you to all who attended and we look forward to seeing many of you back in Durango for COILS!

The Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) program is accepting applications now through October 16. The program provides planning assistance to small towns and rural communities to help them boost their outdoor recreation economy and revitalize their main streets. The program is a partnership between EPA's Office of Community Revitalization, the USDA Forest Service, the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Denali Commission. The City of Glenwood Springs and the City of Monte Vista were selected from Colorado to participate in the first iterations of the RERC program. Selected communities will work alongside federal agency partners and consultants to participate in a planning process that helps identify the community's vision, goals and actions they wish to take to boost outdoor recreation, revitalize their main streets and promote equitable access to the outdoors for residents and visitors alike. The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable recently visited Monte Vista to report on the outcomes of this program. Read more on ORR's blog post, linked below. https://lnkd.in/gxJHFUPd If you are interested in applying for RERC, the EPA will hold an informational webinar about the program and how to apply on September 5, 2024 from 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM ET. We also encourage you to reach out to our office if your community is interesting in applying. https://lnkd.in/g6jyBfK

Small businesses thrive when they have a supportive community behind them—that’s the philosophy that Rural is Rad abides by. 🧑🤝🧑Created by small business owners in rural Colorado, this online database was designed to bring attention to and collaborate with rural businesses primarily in the outdoor industry. ⛰️🚵 In an area where small businesses face numerous challenges from lack of access to capital, expensive housing, to slow broadband speeds, resources from collaborators like the Rural Opportunity Office (ROO) division of OEDIT provide opportunities for rural businesses to get their footing through programs including: Regional Resiliency & Recovery Roadmaps Program, the Rural Data Dashboard, and the Rural Technical Assistance Program. Check out The Daily Yonder’s inspiring story about Rural is Rad (link below), and visit OEDIT’s website to discover the supportive programs meant for rural small businesses! https://lnkd.in/e2AZNZjF

On Thursday, August 15th, our friends at The Conservation Alliance and Patagonia Boulder will be screening "Mobilizing for Monuments." Please consider joining next week!

The Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA) is hosting its 6th annual State of the Outdoors event on August 20th at the Pinery on the Hill in Colorado Springs! The event's theme is “Climbing to Higher Ground: Overcoming Threats and Shaping the Future of Our Outdoors" and speakers will include Becky Leinweber, Executive Director of PPORA; Jackie Miller, Executive Director of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO); and Luis Benitez, Chief Impact Office for Trust for Public Land, author of "Higher Ground," and OREC's first Director! You can learn more, purchase tickets, or explore sponsorship opportunities by visiting the link below. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gQM8gKd2

Registration for the Colorado Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit is now open! COILS 2024 will be our seventh annual event of networking, idea sharing, and discussions centered around the outdoor recreation industry in Colorado. As we continue to grow and sustain a flourishing outdoor recreation-based economy, we are gathering leaders and partners from across the industry to help establish and execute a vision for the future.    Along with expert panels and breakout sessions, COILS will also include a volunteer opportunity with a local non-profit and plenty of time to get outside and recreate with your outdoor industry community!   We also have a range of sponsorship opportunities still available if you are interested in getting your brand or organization in front of conference attendees. We hope you are able to join us and look forward to seeing you in Durango this fall! https://lnkd.in/gxTP-qN7