Did you know Pennsylvania has the sixth-largest outdoor recreation economy in the nation? 🤯 Well, now you do! 🏞️🤠
To manage all of this outdoor goodness, Governor Shapiro just launched the state's Office of Outdoor Recreation. 🏕️
Here’s Five Fast Facts on PA's newest Office:
- 🌅 Parks for Days - PA's got 124 state parks. Three of them are still preparing to open after their announcement last July. In addition to the state parks, there's also 2.2 million acres of state forest.
- 🌳 Tree Huggers Anonymous - The state's outdoor sector accounts for 152,000 jobs. PA's parks and outdoor recreation areas host almost 40 million visitors each year. That's a lot of nature lovers!
- 🤑 Money Grows on Trees - In 2020 alone, outdoor recreation in PA contributed more than $32 billion to Pennsylvania’s GDP. It generated over $6.5 billion in tax revenue at the local, state, and federal levels.
- 🤝 A Group Effort - The new office will work together with other key state agencies, like the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the departments of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Health, and Transportation (PennDOT), to make sure everything runs smoothly.
- 💰 Record Breaking Investment - The office will also help manage the $112 million investment in state parks and forests that was included in the 2023-2024 state budget. This investment is the largest in decades.
🔥Bottom line: The current weather in Pennsylvania is perfect for some outdoor fun. Why not grab the kids and plan a nice little picnic at your local state park? It just might be the R&R your doctor ordered. Hey, did you hear about the proposed 4-day workweek in PA? No word on whether it'll become a reality, but it sure is interesting!
What's your favorite PA state park?
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