ALONG THE WAY
Leaders tackle‘ outdoor economy’
Story by Eric Cravey
Photo by Jay Young, IronArchMedia. com
Who doesn’ t love a waterfall when the temps outside get a bit on the hot side. But, don’ t wait till summer, jump in now.
West Virginia’ s outdoors are much more than a scenic backdrop. They’ re a strategic economic asset. That’ s the message that took center stage Feb. 17 – 18 at the inaugural West Virginia Outdoor Economy Summit at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
Hosted by The WVU Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative and the Nature Conservancy, the summit allowed
8 � SOUTH � SPRING’ 25 leaders from across the state and region to convene and focus exclusively on how to advance West Virginia’ s outdoor economy, a sector that generates an estimated $ 2.1 billion annually.
Danny Twilley, assistant vice president of economic and community development for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative believes West Virginia’ s recreational assets should be used as“ a powerful economic development strategy.”
“ If we invest intentionally, the outdoor economy can help address one of West Virginia’ s greatest challenges: population loss and brain drain, while enhancing the quality of life for our citizens.”
According to Twilley, other states and Appalachian regions have already demonstrated what’ s possible when quality of life becomes a core economic strategy.