Accelerating Outdoors: Outdoor Recreation Powering Economic Recovery & Growth Across Western North Carolina

The scope of work for Accelerating Outdoors: Outdoor Recreation Powering Economic Recovery & Growth Across Western North Carolina grant primarily focuses on establishing and implementing an outdoor investment framework that will be used to guide 24 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) counties in WNC through an asset-based outdoor infrastructure opportunity and gap identification process that also accounts for equity. A team of faculty will develop the outdoor and investment framework and conduct regional outdoor infrastructure utilization and economic impacts assessments, and empower communities and policymakers to make data-driven decisions. The deliverables will be a framework, data collection, data analysis, and final report. A team of faculty will develop the outdoor and investment framework and conduct regional outdoor infrastructure utilization and economic impacts assessments, and empower communities and policymakers to make data-driven decisions.