MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — An outdoor economic collaborative established by West Virginia University will receive a major financial contribution aimed at increasing Mountain State development of outdoor recreation.
The WVU Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative (OEDC) is set to receive approximately $1.76 million in grant funding, which will consist of a just over $1.23 million contribution from the Appalachian Regional Commission as part of their POWER initiative and around $536,000 in matching funds from local partners. OEDC Director of Outdoor Economic and Community Development Andy Williamson expressed excitement regarding the large number of funds incoming to the economic development program, which will be used to help improve outdoor recreation systems across all of West Virginia’s 55 counties.
“What we’re trying to do, as our mission, is to really help our local partners understand how to really harness and leverage those assets,” said Williamson. “To increase the local quality of life and improve their economy in those communities,” he said.
The OEDC will use the funds to establish the West Virginia Community-driven Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE) Initiative. This will be used to launch four community impact programs that will be aimed at building essential outdoor recreation infrastructure, improving statewide collaborations, and building sustainable economic growth for outdoor recreation projects. Williamson added that the programs soon to be named the West Virginia Outdoor Business Alliance, the West Virginia Outdoor Nonprofit Hub, West Virginia Tail Training and Education Resources, and the Strategic Convenings of the West Virginia Outdoor Economy Ecosystem will be applied to help projects from across the Mountain State.
“We have an open call for requests to host these trail training programs,” said Williamson. “We know there are projects in the Greenbrier Valley and the greater Elkins area that we’re already involved in, so we’re going to make sure that we’re going to bring those trainings to those projects,” he said.
According to Williamson, the OEDC will not only aim to improve infrastructure for trail systems across the Mountain State but also infrastructure related to river-related outdoor recreation. This includes collaborations with Cheat River-based organizations, groups associated with the New River Gorge, and dozens of other outdoor recreation organizations in West Virginia. Much like with the trail initiatives, the OEDC will work with the local organizations to fine-tune any operations and help offer training sessions to support economic growth.
“We are going to be working some existing organizations like the Friends of the Cheat, Coal River, Elk River,” said Williamson. “Groups that have already done a great job activating and protecting and preserving those waterways and creating access, we’re going to bring them together,” he said.
The OEDC will also be supported with the help of contributions from the Benedum Foundation, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy of West Virginia, and over a dozen other state and national partners. The program is also expected to have support from the ARC Partnership for Opportunity Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative, which was the main catalyst for the approximately $1.23 million contribution from the Appalachian Regional Commission. With the new program expected to be kicked into overdrive in the coming months, Williamson and those a part of the OEDC are ready to help improve the economic prospects of Mountain State outdoor recreation.
“We’re fortunate to have great support from our partners, from our funders like the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Benedum Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, all believed in this,” Williamson said. “And we’re excited to kick this thing off,” he said.