County at a Crossroads: Outdoor Recreation in Moffat County

Group Members: Rachael Blondy, Claire Kendall, Peter Olivares, Leonard Swerdlow

The goal of this project is to provide Moffat County with a sustainable, resilient, and diverse economic strategy for the growth of Outdoor Recreation opportunities, showcasing Moffat County as a place where people want to work, live and play. The MENV team has partnered with the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, which is the state office serving as the point of contact and providing resources for Colorado’s communities that rely on the outdoor recreation economy. The team's objective is to complete a strategic plan for expanding the outdoor recreation industry. This strategic plan will encompass four main deliverables: a “Choose your own Adventure” ArcGIS Story Map including an Asset Map, a "Building a Community-Driven Outdoor Recreation Economy: Strategies for Rural Colorado" Project Report, and a “Made in Moffat” Short Film. They’ll be expanding on prior studies of Moffat County in order to provide more detailed recommendations that focus on economic development and diversification strategies. The students will also support the clean energy transition, specifically, by helping Moffat County transition its economy from dependence on extractive industries for jobs and tax revenue towards a diversified economy that provides economic security through outdoor recreation and affiliated industries. Together, the project deliverables will form an outdoor recreation guidebook, which can be thought of as a how-to manual for rural economic development and diversification in Colorado that can easily be applied to other counties throughout the state. This strategic plan will contribute to attracting recreation-affiliated industries, like manufacturing, to the county. Overall, the team wants to foster economic opportunities for rural communities, like Moffat County, to thrive.

Building a Community-Driven Outdoor Recreation Economy: Strategies for Rural Colorado
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