Office of Outdoor Recreation to host annual Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit in St. George

Virgin River, Zion National Park, date not specified | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The annual Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit is scheduled to be held next week in St. George, giving Utah officials the opportunity to gather and discuss issues related to outdoor recreation.

The summit will be held at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George from Oct. 22-24. The theme of the 6th annual summit is Roots and routes: Preserving our past and forging our future.

The Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit is an annual gathering of recreation professionals and leaders from around the state and country. The goal of the summit is to bridge the gap between economic development, policy, planning, health, education and industry through education, collaboration and a shared vision for the future of recreation opportunities in Utah, according to a press release. 

“There’s a reason this is the most successful summit of its type in the country. It’s because of the iconic landscapes and incredible recreation amenities in Utah, all supported by the country’s best land managers, communities and outdoor industry professionals,” said Tom Adams, director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation, in a press release.

A highlight of the Summit will be celebrating 100 years of Zion National Park with Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh, Kevin Lewis from Greater Zion and the Zion Forever Project. There will also be a presentation highlighting the proposal for an East Zion visitor center being planned as a public-private partnership to enhance the visitor experience.

At the three-day summit, attendees can participate in one of five educational tracks discussing important outdoor recreation issues and engage with local industry thought leaders, stakeholders and land managers who play essential roles in Utah’s outdoor recreation community.

Participants can network with industry professionals while participating in activities such as road or mountain biking, an off-highway vehicle ride, kayaking at Sand Hollow State Park and the annual Outdoor Summit Awards, which showcase organizations that positively contribute to outdoor recreation in Utah.

The Summit also provides opportunities for attendees to give back to local recreation areas through service projects. Participants will be able to help with a trail cleanup with support from the Bureau of Land Management and Red Rock Bicycle Co. as well as refurbishing bicycles for children with support from the St. George Bicycle Collective.

Attendees will hear from different keynote speakers, including David Vela, acting director at the National Park Service, Michiko Martin, director of recreation at the U.S. Forest Service and Mike and Lilliana Libecki from National Geographic. There will also be an official signing of the outdoor confluence accords in conjunction with the National Governor’s Association. At least five new states plan on signing the agreement.

Additionally, the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation is welcoming the National Governor’s Association Outdoor Recreation Learning Network annual meeting to Utah. The office will welcome every state director in outdoor recreation from 20 states. This meeting will be the first time all of the offices have gathered under the National Governor’s Association to highlight the growth of outdoor recreation throughout the country.

For additional information about the Summit, and to register, visit utahoutdoorsummit.com.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

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