Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation

Our latest edition of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation Quarterly Newsletter is out now! Check it out, and subscribe to receive it as soon as it is sent out!

We welcomed eight companies into the spring 2025 cohort of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP). ⛺🚴 Join us this month for Demo Night! We'll kick things off at 5 p.m. on April 15 at Meteor Guitar Gallery in #Bentonville as we highlight the significant progress each company made! The #GORP cohort: 🌊🚣♂️ Arkie Cypress River Excursions – Founder: Joseph Haney 🚵♀️👕 BEAR10 – Founder: Anneke Beerten 🚲🛠️ Hi.Lo Mobile Bicycle Repair LLC – Founder: Ben McGranaghan 🏔️🚶♀️ Hilary Lex Treks – Founder: Hilary Lex ⚙️🔬 Surftec, LLC – Founder: Samuel G. Beckford, Ph.D. 🚲🚦 Take the Lane – Founders: Beatrice Becerra, EI, Sarah Bodine MPH, RDN, LD, and Mal Sebeck 🚐🌲 Vamonos Vans Inc. – Founder: Ben Pryzby 🌊🏄♂️ Zink Lake Recreation – Founder: Creed Hendrickson RSVP now: https://lu.ma/by3r5msm Enjoy free food & drinks while we learn the next step each company in our spring 2025 cohort plans to take on their entrepreneurial journey. 🚀✨ #StartSomethingAR #OutdoorRecreation #StartupSuccess

Arkansas’ Outdoor economy is brewing success! Morii Outdoor is turning coffee waste into sustainable fire starters! With support from GORP and the Outdoor Economy Summit, Collin Whittington Coffee Campfire Starter has gone from prototype to retail in under a year. This is what happens when innovation meets opportunity in Arkansas’ growing outdoor recreation sector! Read more about his journey: https://lnkd.in/emQhdTxS

Governor Sanders has officially signed HB1607 into law, permanently establishing the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. This is a huge win for outdoor enthusiasts, industry partners and communities across the state. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this happen! Together, we continue to grow Arkansas’ outdoor economy and expand access to recreation!

ENSHRINED IN LAW! The Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation is now enshrined in state law after Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed HB1607 yesterday. Established via Executive Order in 2021, the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation has been spectacular in delivering on its vision to make the Natural State a national outdoor recreation leader. Director Katherine Andrews and team have worked tirelessly to integrate outdoor recreation as a tool for state competitiveness, public health, and community benefit. ORR applauds Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, First Gentleman Bryan Sanders, state legislators, and the countless outdoor recreation advocates within and outside state government who have made this historic day possible, coinciding perfectly with the launch of ORR's '25 in 2025' campaign launched yesterday. Confluence of States

Arkansas is proud to have an Office of Outdoor Recreation because we know the power of the outdoors! Having a dedicated office helps us grow our outdoor industry, support conservation efforts and expand access to the incredible natural spaces that make Arkansas unique. As the movement grows nationwide, we’re excited to see which state will become #25!

WHICH STATE WILL CREATE THE 25TH OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION? Today, we're launching a national challenge to create the 25th office of outdoor recreation in partnership with the Confluence of States, leading outdoor recreation businesses and associations, and conservation groups from across the country.   We're also releasing a new resource called "How to Create a State Office of Outdoor Recreation" to support your state's effort, full of strategies that recreation advocates have employed to create offices of their own.   Throughout the year, we'll highlight the extraordinary impact of current state offices of outdoor recreation, and this fall we'll celebrate the 25th office (and ideally many more) in person.   Join the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/gukmQEBj

Exciting News for Outdoor Recreation in Arkansas! The 2025-2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) is here! This plan lays the foundation for enhancing access, sustainability and innovation in outdoor recreation across The Natural State. With priorities like improving accessibility, fostering community investment and promoting environmental stewardship, SCORP is shaping the future of Arkansas' outdoor spaces. Learn how this plan supports outdoor recreation providers and communities: https://lnkd.in/esv-cgqD #TheNaturalState #OutdoorRecreation

Big news for outdoor recreation in Arkansas! The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism announced the latest of the Office of Outdoor Recreation Grant Awards! More than $3.8 million in funding will go to projects that enhance parks, trails, and outdoor spaces across the state. 🌳🚴♂️🏕️ These grants help communities invest in outdoor recreation, supporting local economies and expanding access to nature for all Arkansans. Check out the full list of awardees and project details here: ⬇️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJN6SgjH 📢 Also, mark your calendars! Applications open March 10 for The Arkansas Great Strides Program and May 1 for Matching/FUN grants. #ArkansasOutdoorRecreation #ExploreArkansas

The second annual Arkansas Outdoor Economy Summit is in the books! It was an incredible few days of connection, learning, celebration, and storytelling. This year, we co-located with the 51st Governor's Conference on Tourism in Bentonville and had the opportunity to discuss the outdoor economy with hundreds more folks. The momentum in Arkansas is astounding. Thank you to all of our speakers including Jonas (Cass) Crews, Regan Pugh, Chris Perkins, Taylor Cassat, Adam Cramer, Grady Spann, Rick Pierce, Megan Marie Bolinder, Ph.D., Zoe Maddox, Ph.D., Leif Kindberg, Raven Lawson, Mat Faulkner, Kalene Griffith, Amanda Herget, and Bruce Stanton, and our sponsors, volunteers behind the scenes, and everyone who made this event special. Couldn't have done it without the best Deputy Director, Becky Flynn, and of course Yoon Kim and his awesome team! This month has been a whirlwind of activity: we hosted the inaugural Natural State Day at the Capitol, released the 2025-2030 Arkansas SCORP (statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan), hosted our second annual Arkansas Outdoor Economy Summit, and released the findings of our statewide outdoor recreation economic impact study, which was completed by Jonas (Cass) Crews. The GORP Program, led by Zoe Maddox, Ph.D., announced the inaugural cohort in the global cycling accelerator program, the Trails at Mena project and Bella Vista bike parks were announced, and the Governor signed into legislation a bill that will lay the groundwork for lift-access bike parks. Alongside our partners, we have been hard at work to grow the outdoor economy in Arkansas and we're only in month two of this year! So much more to come. Heartland Forward, Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation