Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) announced the recipients of its Rebuilding and Recovery Micro-Grant Program, a targeted effort to aid the restoration of outdoor recreation assets in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Each of the selected grantees plays a critical role in restoring the trails, access points, and outdoor infrastructure that are essential to their communities’ economic recovery, resiliency and continued connection to the outdoors and its myriad benefits. In total, 189 grantees applied for grants between $1-10,000 requesting over $1.75 million in funds. These grants are made possible through generous funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and The VF Foundation, the philanthropic arm of VF Corporation, the parent company of brands including The North Face®, Vans®, Timberland®, Smartwool®, and Altra®.
“Outdoor recreation is at the heart of so many communities in these areas, driving local economics, supporting public health, and serving as a source of resilience,” said Cassie Elrod, Program and Administrative Director of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “These communities were hit hard by Hurricane Helene, and we are proud to stand with the local leaders and volunteers on the ground who are restoring the spaces that connect people to nature and provide economic opportunity.”
The importance of these recovery efforts is underscored by recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which shows that outdoor recreation is a major economic driver in these regions:
- Florida: $57.8 billion generated by outdoor recreation
- Georgia: $18.5 billion generated by outdoor recreation
- North Carolina: $16.2 billion generated by outdoor recreation
- South Carolina: $8.6 billion generated by outdoor recreation
- Tennessee: $13 billion generated by outdoor recreation
Along with today’s announcement, ORR will continue to spotlight for federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private sector partners the need for continued recovery and reinvestment in Helene-impacted outdoor recreation economies, and also invite visitors to enjoy the countless high-quality trails, rivers, parks, lakes, and campgrounds that have already been restored and serve as the backbone of the region’s identity and economic success.
ORR’s Rebuilding and Recovery Micro-Grant recipients are:
- Camp Grier in Old Fort, N.C.
- Keep Ashe Beautiful, Ashe County, N.C.
- Carolina Climbers Coalition
- Big Creek Expeditions
- Sorba-Central Savannah River Area
- Florida Trail Association