While states have long measured the economic value of outdoor recreation, little data has existed on the economic impact of adaptive and accessible recreation nationwide. This session will report on the full results of a yearlong study of the economic impact of Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports. We will cover how Vermont Adaptive is using this data in concert with the Trail Accessibility Hub partnership to advocate for and advance adaptive recreation across the state.

I will be delivering an update on the findings from the 2025 VT Climate Assessment Recreation & Tourism Chapter. The workshop will explain the goals of the Climate Assessment broadly and then dig into the findings in the Recreation & Tourism chapter to talk about the collaborative efforts it will take to continue providing sustainable recreation access into the future.

How do you steward large landscapes while strengthening the communities who live, work, and recreate there? Drawing from the 130,000-acre Maine Woods Initiative, this workshop explores the Appalachian Mountain Club's people-centered model of land conservation that blends land management, recreation, economic vitality, and community partnerships. Participants will examine how intentional community engagement, Indigenous collaboration, public access, and shared governance can amplify conservation outcomes across decades.

Outdoor recreation contributes $2.2 billion to Vermont’s GDP, leading to economic prosperity in downtowns and villages across the state. Hear success stories from businesses across southern Vermont that are collaborating to strengthen an outdoor commercial cluster involving multiple communities, types of businesses, and outdoor products and services to support a wide range of year-round outdoor users. Learn about the alignment of business development and nonprofit organizations investing in outdoor infrastructure, municipalities positioned as outdoor destinations, and state initiatives in tourism destination marketing. Leave with an understanding of the characteristics that make a region successful in attracting and growing the outdoor economy and how to apply insights across the state.

This panel brings real voices to the center, sharing lived experiences of barriers to the outdoors and what made coming back possible. Through honest, human stories, panelists reflect on what exclusion feels like and what true belonging requires. Participants will leave with practical, community-rooted ideas for reducing barriers, building trust, and creating welcoming pathways that help more people feel seen, supported, and able to come alive outside.

The Town of Danville created a Village to Village Master Plan in 2018 with the goal of improving connections along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, supporting interest in outdoor activities, and building a sense of place and economic vitality. This presentation will highlight the work that has been done so far on the Master Plan and highlight the current projects and partners, providing specific examples of how public-private collaborations that are leveraging resources to create and improve the walk/bike infrastructure and social connections in one rural Vermont town.