Nathan Reigner, Pennsylvania’s first Director of Outdoor Recreation will be the featured speaker next month at an Hourglass Foundation community forum on Lancaster County’s outdoor economy and its potential for growth.
“Trailblazers: Unlocking the Potential of Outdoor Recreation” will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster. There will be a reception at 5 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. by Reigner’s presentation and a panel discussion of local leaders.
Tickets are $40. To purchase them, click here.
Outdoor recreation is receiving new attention as an economic development, health, quality of life and environmental sustainability strategy. Pennsylvania has the sixth largest outdoor recreation economy in the U.S., accounting for nearly $17 billion in economic output and more than 160,000 jobs in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
In Lancaster County, businesses and nonprofits are looking to promote conservation and recreation in the lower Susquehanna River corridor, the core of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area.
Lancaster city’s new comprehensive plan, meanwhile, calls for re-envisioning the Conestoga River corridor as an outdoor recreation resource and establishing a nature preserve on the Sunnyside Peninsula.
Reigner, a former Penn State professor and recreation consultant, was appointed to his position in state government in 2022. The Office of Outdoor Recreation is housed within the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources and is charged with growing the state’s outdoor sector and ensuring all Pennsylvanians have equitable opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities.
His work aligns with Pennsylvania’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which includes 20 recommendations in five priority areas: Health and Wellness; Recreation for All; Sustainable Systems; Funding and Economic Development; and Technology.
