Governor touts Connellsville as an example of success investing in outdoor recreation

Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln needs only to look around if he wants to see the impact that outdoor recreation has had on the Fayette County city.

There’s a restaurant and event center being developed near the Connellsville Comfort Inn, along with another new restaurant nearby. Independence Health System is working on a $13 million facility just up the road.

“We’re in the process of acquiring the iron bridge behind me to incorporate that into our outdoor tourism and connect more of the region’s trails together,” Lincoln said. “We will be the Breezewood of Western Pennsylvania trails.”

State officials have taken notice of stories like Connellsville’s. Gov. Josh Shapiro and several of his Cabinet members joined Lincoln at Yough River Park on Thursday to introduce Nathan Reigner, the state’s new director of outdoor recreation.

“While outdoor recreation can be a nice day out with your family, it’s also a driver of economic development,” Reigner said.

Shapiro’s 2023-24 budget aims to help drive that development with a $112 million investment across Pennsylvania’s 124 state parks.

“Tourism and specifically outdoor recreation play a really huge role in strengthening our communities,” said Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Director Rick Siger. “The Greater Allegheny Passage has turned this small industrial city into a hub for outdoor tourism.”

The infusion of state dollars will go toward maintaining and improving infrastructure in parks and forests. The outdoor recreation industry in Pennsylvania generates about $14 billion annually in economic activity, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry is the sixth largest in the U.S.

“When you go rent that kayak, you’re helping put food on the table and helping an economy that’s really important to Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. “By investing in outdoor recreation, Pennsylvania isn’t just giving people another reason to get outside. We’re also giving people ways to connect with one another.”

Shapiro saw a similar growth during his time as a commissioner in Montgomery County, when he helped to expand and connect trail systems there.

“The Montgomery connectors ended up being so popular, they were eventually extended to Bucks County,” he said.

Shapiro touted the bipartisan effort that led to the $112 million investment, the largest in state history aimed at state park improvements.

“It’s not a partisan issue, it’s a common-sense issue,” Shapiro said. “That’s what we’re interested in in my administration — common-sense investments for the good of all Pennsylvanians.”