BUNCOMBE COUNTY
The State of North Carolina announced it would host the second ever Confluence Summit in Asheville this July; the first was hosted in Colorado. That state’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office set up the ORec 8 last year to facilitate collaboration among the eight states with government outdoor recreation officers; and that led to the first Confluence Summit as a means of giving the states a nonpartisan, unified voice on outdoor recreation policy. In preparation for the summit, the state delegations began searching for common ground for policies affecting outdoor economic development, conservation and stewardship, education and workforce development, and public health and wellness. The best ideas are being folded into the Colorado Accords, a collection for eventual ratification as a living document. But in the meantime, the meeting in Asheville will satisfy the Colorado office’s ambition to hold summits in a broad range of states. As the process unfolds, other states will be recruited. To help with transportation to the event, specialty outdoor retailer REI will be supporting travel stipends. One hundred delegates attended the first Confluence Summit.
