A prominent outdoor recreation group says there is a growing divide between federal spending and the maintenance needs of recreation infrastructure, and warned that new funding sources will be needed to keep the burgeoning sector afloat.
A study led by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and conducted by the market research firm Southwick Associates, shared with E&E News, found the funding gap between recreation infrastructure needs and federal funding could grow to $34 billion by 2042 without changes.
The dynamic comes as record numbers of Americans are enjoying public facilities and critical funding sources like fossil fuel revenues are likely to wane.
“The need to identify future-proof revenue streams for outdoor recreation access and infrastructure has never been clearer,” said Jessica Wahl Turner, the group’s president.