In a burst of end-of-year activity, Senator Michael Bennet has sent nine bills to President Bidenâs desk to be signed into law, including the Rural Outdoor Investment Act (ROIA), according to a December 24 press release from Bennetâs office.
The ROIA is a piece of legislation Bennet introduced in 2023 along with co-sponsors Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and US Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM. It is intended to promote outdoor recreational activities, infrastructure, and tourism to boost rural economies nationwide. âIn Colorado, outdoor recreation is an economic engine for communities and a cornerstone of our Western way of life,â Bennet said in a statement first released in August 2023. âThis legislation will expand recreation options, create good-paying jobs, and support local businesses so that as demand for outdoor recreation in Colorado grows, rural economies grow too.â
The ROIA is a part of broader legislation passed to re-authorize the federal Economic Development Administration, which in turn administers the Public Works grants program. Under the terms of the legislation, the Public Works grant program will be funded at $270 million, and for the first time will put a special emphasis on outdoor recreation, which will receive some $50 million in grant funding. This means that, potentially at least, millions of dollars in grant funding will be made available to rural communities in Colorado and other states to build or repair outdoor recreational facilities or boost tourism efforts aimed at outdoor recreation.
An Outdoor Recreation Roundtable white paper, released in August 2023, outlined three critical areas for grant funding: outdoor recreation infrastructure, which includes such things as boat ramps, trailhead parking, marinas, campgrounds, and other outdoor facilities; planning grants âto support communities that want to create an outdoor experience that meets consumer expectations and grows Main Streetâ; and rural business assistance, âto support recreation-related businesses such as outdoor manufacturers and retailers, equipment rentals, shuttles, guides and outfitters, in addition to hotels, restaurants, and retail.â
Bennet and the other sponsors of the ROIA emphasize that demand for outdoor tourism and recreation began to spike during the first throes of the COVID pandemic in 2020. This demand has taxed local resources for maintenance and improvement of popular outdoor recreation spots such as trails and reservoirs. The ROIA, along with the CORE (Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy) Act, sponsored by Bennet, Senator John Hickenlooper, and Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO), is one attempt to mitigate the effects of this demand and help boost rural economic development at the same time.
â Elliot Jackson