Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry already contributes nearly $17 billion to the state’s economy. A new statewide initiative was launched on Monday Easton aims to attract more businesses to share the wealth and prosper.

State and local officials joined Easton small business owners to unveil Elevate, a campaign dedicated to growing the outdoor recreation industry in Pennsylvania.

“Elevate is a public engagement program designed to bring together our Pennsylvania outdoor businesses and elevate our great outdoor industry,” said Nathan Reigner, director of outdoor recreation for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Pennsylvania. “We need to hear from businesses in the outdoors about what needs you have — what your advocacy needs are, what your support needs are — and how together we can better enable business-to-business relationships, address barriers to growth, we can grow the workforce, empower our outdoor entrepreneurs and drive innovation in our outdoor industry.”

Under Governor Josh Shapiro, DCNR and the state Department of Community and Economic Development through the Appalachian Regional Commission shared a $200,000 grant to administer the initiative, awarded to the Southern Allegheny Planning and Development Commission. It’s a year-long project that seeks to get input from outdoor business owners starting a study.

“We will be reaching out to those companies asking for their input via survey,” Reigner said. “And as the engagement program moves forward, we’ll be looking for leaders to accelerate and help organize across industry sectors.”

Easton Outdoor Co., an outfitter based at 230 Northampton St., hosted Monday’s launch for Elevate. As a “producer,” Reigner explained, it’s one of three classes of outdoor businesses he calls the three Ps, along with “suppliers” and “professionals.”

These businesses employ more than 164,000 people, DCNR says. Together, they added $16.9 billion in value to Pennsylvania’s economy in 2022, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through their gross output, jobs and compensation. The district was the eighth largest in the nation, according to the report, with Pennsylvania behind California, Florida, Texas, New York, Illinois, Washington state and Ohio.

“Our business is more than just a tackle shop,” said Adam Fairchild, owner of Easton Outdoor, after opening 13 years ago, expanding about 2 1/2 years ago. “We’re not here just for you to come and buy a product, and we’re not here just to take your money for that product. Our staff are truly ambassadors for outer space. We help direct people to those outdoor spaces where they can enjoy the products that we sell, but just enjoy the outdoor resources that we have.”

Representing the supplier category was Karen Prieto, owner of Twin Rivers Tubing. They just finished their 11th season, seven of which were in Phillipsburg before New Jersey stopped issuing commercial use permits, she explained. Easton has welcomed business into the city’s economy, and river tubers can now show their Twin Rivers bracelet for a discount at participating businesses.

“We realized coming here, we were part of a bigger picture,” Prieto said. “When people come down from the river, they are hungry and thirsty. And they began to use the city. And we started hearing from restaurants saying, “Wow, we see a lot of your customers. How do we continue this?”

Hearst Magazines Editor-in-Chief Bill Strickland spoke Monday on behalf of the professional outdoor business category. He appreciated the Lehigh Valley’s natural amenities, which helped him land jobs testing and profiling gear from running shoes to outdoor pizza ovens to the five brands of the Hearst Enthusiast Group, based across South Third Street from Easton City Hall.

“You know, it’s kind of this highly sought-after class of workers that cities want right now,” he said. “And it’s helped me recruit people because we’re close to these outdoor facilities. What people are looking for are housing, food, art, music and other social cultures and the availability of the outdoors. With this, we were able to recruit people from Brooklyn; of Portland, Oregon; from Austin — all over the country. All over the country, people come to Easton because they see what we have here.”

Reigner has spawned numerous businesses in Pennsylvania dedicated to celebrating the outdoors in activities such as biking, boating, hiking and hunting; gardening and outdoor concerts; and construction, travel and tourism, local travel and government spending. He mentioned national brands like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Zippo, Kate’s Real Food Bars and FishUSA; smaller businesses like Easton Outdoor Co., Philadelphia-based VeloJawn Bicycle Shop and 3 Rivers Outdoors Co. of Pittsburgh; global companies with North American headquarters in Pennsylvania, such as OM System and BikeCo; and homegrown innovators like Gilson Snow, Purple Lizard Maps, DiamondBack truck covers and Brokenstraw Outdoors.

“It’s really a moment that came to help them come together; we make sure we understand their needs, challenges and opportunities; make sure people from nearby Pennsylvania come here, spend their money,” said Neil Fowler, executive director of DCED’s Center for Strategic Partnerships.

Combined, Pennsylvania’s outdoor businesses support a healthier and more vibrant community in places like Northampton County, which is investing $25 million in land conservation, according to County Executive Lamont McClure and Council members Ken Brown and Frank Pintabone of Easton.

“Everything is interconnected and it’s what makes our state a great place to live,” said state Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton.

Outdoor businesses can learn more about Survey raised available at elevateoutdoorspa.com. Next steps for Elevate also include regional listening sessions, Reigner said: “We will be calling all of our outdoor businesses together for a input session to discuss common needs and brainstorm ways the industry can come together and can be supported.”