Gov. Nixon to Lead Presentations on the Outdoor Economy at Western Governors' Association Meeting and Great Outdoors Western Campout

Press Release

During events corresponding with the 100th Anniversary of the National Parks Service, Gov. Jay Nixon will join the Western Governors' Association and the American Recreation Coalition to lead a number of presentations on the outdoor economy in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

On Sunday (June 12), Gov. Nixon will lead a presentation about his administration's successful efforts to strengthen the outdoor economy at the WGA Annual Meeting. The Governor is attending the meeting, which will also feature presentations by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, at the invitation of Wyoming Governor and WGA Chair Matt Mead. Gov. Nixon and Gov. Mead were co-recipients of the 2015 Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award from the American Recreation Coalition.

"Here in Missouri, getting out and enjoying the outdoors is a part of our way of life and it's an increasingly important engine of our economy: supporting thousands of jobs and attracting millions of visitors to our state each year," Gov. Nixon said. "Our efforts to strengthen Missouri's outdoor economy have produced real and lasting results -- from increasing park attendance and tourism to record highs to being recognized as the Best Trails State in America. I'm looking forward to sharing these best practices with my fellow governors, as we continue to improve our health, our economy and our quality of life by promoting, protecting and enhancing the great outdoors."

The meeting coincides with the Great Outdoors Western Campout hosted by the American Recreation Coalition, which brings together families with fourth graders to Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park to promote outdoor recreation and exploration. On Monday (June 13), the Governor will address state park directors and tourism industry leaders at a roundtable on "National Park Campgrounds of the Future," organized by the American Recreation Coalition in partnership with The Coleman Company USA and Airstream, Inc.

Families from each state attending the Great Outdoors Western Campout, including the Porter family of St. Louis, are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Interior's Every Kid in a Park program. The program aims to expand opportunities for fourth-grade students across the country to experience America's public lands and waters firsthand. Arthur Milton Porter III, an entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker; Anika Porter, an entrepreneur and radio host; and their son Arthur IV, a 4th grader at Flynn Park Elementary in University City, are an active family that loves to travel and experience the world. They are members of Power of Change Christian Church.

Since taking office in 2009, Gov. Nixon has made increasing access to state parks for Missouri families a top priority. Under the Governor's leadership, Missouri has been named the best camping state, the best trails state, and its state parks have consistently ranked among the best in the nation.

Gov. Nixon was an early supporter of the Katy Trail, the nation's longest rails-to-trails project, and has extended the trail to both the east and west as Governor. A 47.5 mile extension of the trail on the western side of the state is on pace to be complete by the end of 2016.

Making it a goal to reverse a 10-year decline in parks attendance, Gov. Nixon has also expanded and improved Missouri's nationally-recognized state park system, with new state parks under development in Jefferson and Shannon counties. In 2015, Missouri State Parks saw record attendance with more than 19.2 million guests, representing a nearly 30 percent increase since 2008.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon created the State Parks Youth Corps (SPYC), a nationally recognized jobs initiative to enhance Missouri's state parks and historical sites, in cooperation with the Missouri Division of Workforce Development. Since its inception, more than 3,500 young people have participated.

Launched in 2013 to celebrate Missouri being named the "Best Trails State" in America, the Governor's 100 Missouri Miles Challenge encourages Missourians to complete 100 miles of outdoor physical activity in one year. Over the last three years, more than 26,000 participants have logged over 5 million miles.

Past recipients of the Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award include President George H.W. Bush (1990), National Geographic Society Chairman Gil Grosvenor (1994), U.S. Senators John Breaux (1991), Frank Murkowski (1997), John Chafee (1998) and Lamar Alexander, U.S. Representatives Jim Oberstar (1996) and Ralph Regula (2000), Transportation Secretaries Norman Mineta (2003) and Rodney Slater (1999) and Secretaries of the Interior Ken Salazar (2011) and Dirk Kempthorne (2008).

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