We agree with the Altoona Mirror. Transparency in any public process is key. Lasting positive impact and outcomes are equally critical. The Commissioners’ desire for a different tourism approach, one focused on developing outdoor assets, is less about an organization or how things have been done in the past, and more about our kids, and future generations of Blair Countians. We need to attract and retain new residents. We see each visitor as a potential resident and investor.

Our mountains, rivers, slopes and trails have been part of our economic history and are now part of our recreation experience. The 6 to 10 Trail, Bells Gap, Blue Knob and the Lower Trail are already popular destinations. Parks such as Fort Roberdeau, Valley View and Canoe Creek offer loop trail networks. Major new trail development is under way to include the National 9-11 Trail and a large network above the Horseshoe Curve promises to establish our region as a national trail destination.

The more destinations we have, the more reasons people have to visit and stay. Mountain communities like ours have been building on outdoor assets and benefiting from it. Towns like Greenville, S.C.; Asheville, N.C.; and Wellsboro and Connellsville here in Pennsylvania, have all invested in outdoor recreation and supported open-air events as a key part of their economic development approach.

And it works.

This message has been a part of my campaign and continues as a commissioner. All three commissioners have discussed this in public meetings as we consider establishing a new Outdoor Parks and Trail Authority.

To be clear, any new approach will continue to market, communicate, support and promote all of our existing high value destinations, public and private. It will help fund events and programs that attract outside visitors. It will feature and connect and promote our lodging properties and main street business, small and large.

But we should and can do more than advertise. Trails, parks and waterways are considered civic spaces. They help to attract and retain people to a community. This is especially true post-pandemic. Unlike private sector destinations, parks and trails are generally developed, promoted and maintained through volunteer efforts and occasional grant funding.

With increased demand, municipal governments across the Country are incorporating outdoor assets into their management and oversight operations. The lodging tax can support this effort without relying on general funds. It’s paid for by visitors. The more people visit, the more lodging tax generated to reinvest.

A recent outdoor study commissioned by the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission found that outdoor recreation employs more than 2,600 people in Blair County. That number hasn’t grown much, but it can with more opportunities. Blair County should have a larger share of Pennsylvania’s $17 billion outdoor recreation economy. The study points to the growth potential for Blair County, noting we are “poised to harness this powerful economic opportunity.”

The rise of the remote workforce is putting our community in play to attract people who can bring a job with them. That is in part why the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania established its first formal Office of Outdoor Recreation, further demonstrating the linkage between recreation, trails and their role in economic and community development. We need to be positioned for future state sponsored outdoor recreation programs and policies.

I asked the Blair County Alliance for Business and Economic Growth to help. They bring experience in asset development, place-based marketing and fund management. The Alliance also now includes the Chamber of Commerce, offering direct communication to more than 950 members with a solid committee structure.

We value what has been accomplished to date under Explore Altoona’s board. We all should contribute to a new tourism chapter for the county. This is the start of a process. Change is always challenging, but also inevitable. Whatever the outcome, our focus is on attracting the next generation and creating a better, stronger, more sustainable Blair County.