Western Massachusetts is brimming with opportunities to get outdoors during every season — there’s skiing, fishing, hiking, even hot-air ballooning.
The problem, according to Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, is that these activities aren’t well-known.
To raise awareness about outdoor activities in Massachusetts, Hinds has filed a bill that would create an Office of Outdoor Recreation. The office would operate within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The Executive Office declined to comment, as the legislation is pending.
The new office would “streamline” the promotion of outdoor activities in the state, Hinds said Tuesday. A director, appointed by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, would head the office.
“We dont have an entity in the state that is leading the charge to either market or successfully navigate through the various agencies and offices that impact outdoor recreation,” Hinds said. “You often have to navigate multiple levels of bureaucracy.”
Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, a co-sponsor of the bill, said Wednesday that western Massachusetts “should be viewed as the hub off outdoor recreation” in the state.
“A big part of it is building awareness,” Blais said. “The fact of the matter is many people dont know about the many amazing outdoor activities we have. It would be great to have someone to make that happen.”
The office would have a “trust fund” to give out grants or loans to appropriate organizations. The fund is to be comprised of public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations.
The office would have other functions besides promoting outdoor recreation. It would function as a source of information for the outdoor recreation industry. In addition, the office would assess the social impacts of outdoor recreation, including its effects on low-income and urban communities. The office would recommend policies to improve access to outdoor recreation for these communities.
The office would also compile a publicly available annual report with data on the health, social and economic impacts of outdoor recreation in Massachusetts.
The bill is available to review at: bit.ly/2SfbQcO
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261 ext. 280