First- Ever National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation Draws Secretary Burgum, Outdoor Recreation and Health CEOs, and National Leaders to Washington; ORR Announces Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Catalyst Grant, State Initiatives, and Industry Commitment

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations, convened U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, state recreation leaders, innovative researchers, and top outdoor industry and health CEOs for the inaugural National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation. The Forum spotlighted the $1.3 trillion outdoor economy and its 5.2 million jobs as a ready-made solution to America’s growing chronic disease, healthcare costs, and mental health crisis.

The Forum put America’s Outdoor Era front and center, ORR’s bold national vision to reposition outdoor recreation as a cornerstone of U.S. health infrastructure. Across 10 cross-sector conversations, executives, policymakers, and health leaders aligned on a clear path forward: expand recreation access close to home, strengthen partnerships between healthcare and the outdoor economy, and elevate trusted voices championing time outside as essential to physical and mental health. The conversations underscored outdoor recreation’s role in supporting youth and community wellbeing, reducing chronic disease, and driving economic opportunity. Learn more about the sessions here. 

Among the major announcements at the Forum was the launch of the first-of-its-kind Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Catalyst Grant Program, a new ORR initiative to put resources directly into rural communities ready to utilize the outdoors as a frontline health and economic development solution. With support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the LOR Foundation, and The VF Foundation, new grants will fund locally led projects that connect outdoor recreation with preventive health, mental well-being, and social connection in rural America, demonstrating what community-based outdoor health investment can look like at scale.

“The research is clear, the momentum is real, and the partners are in the room,” said Jessica Turner, President of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “What comes next is alignment – across health systems, insurers, schools, employers, and land managers – to activate a national vision that is already within reach. Our goal is to change the way schools treat recess, how employee benefit plans reward outdoor time, and how our national health system views the outdoors as essential infrastructure.”

Additional Key Forum Announcements & Partnerships:

• The America’s Outdoor Era: A healthier America starts outside. ORR is calling on businesses and trade organizations across the outdoor economy to take measurable action in three areas: supporting outdoor infrastructure and programs that expand equitable access to outdoor experiences; embedding outdoor activity into workplace culture, benefits, and employee wellness; and partnering with health systems and institutions to advance the outdoors as a tool for prevention and better patient outcomes. ORR will spotlight signatories taking action throughout Great Outdoors Month in June.
• State Leadership: The Confluence of States welcomed Connecticut as their 22nd member and announced they will advance new programs, partnerships, and investments for outdoor recreation and health through a shared policy framework for state outdoor recreation offices, culminating in a first-ever Summit on Outdoor Recreation and Health this fall.
• Science-Backed Education: The American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Nature & Health Alliance announced a new partnership established by a grant from the REI Cooperative Action Fund to launch an education series on the science of nature and well-being.

The two day forum kicked off on Wednesday at the White House Historical Association Decatur House where ORR presented its Outdoor Recreation Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.

This landmark event on May 6 and 7 in Washington, D.C. was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors who share the vision of a healthier, more outdoors America. We would like to thank: the Coalition to Empower Our Future; Discover Boating; National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA); Capital One; Richard King Mellon Foundation; Trust for Public Land; Winnebago Industries; LOR Foundation; Outside; NEMO Equipment; American Sportfishing Association; Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s; National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA); Baird; Brunswick; AllTrails; Audubon Society; Barton Health; Blue Sky Funders Forum; Brumidi Group; Delaware North; America’s Public Lands; Freestone Strategies; iSportsman; Kampgrounds of America (KOA); lululemon; Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation; Missouri Department of Conservation; OHI Advancing Outdoor Hospitality; onX Maps; Outdoor Afro; Outward Bound USA; RVDA; RV Industry Association; Every Kid Outdoors; National System of Public Lands; Tennessee RiverLine; SEND Bars; and VF Corporation.

For more information on America’s Outdoor Era, visit recreationroundtable.org/priorities/healthvision.

About Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable promotes the growth of the $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy and outdoor recreation activities. We educate decision makers and the public on balanced policies that conserve public lands and waterways and enhance infrastructure to improve the experience and quality of life of outdoor enthusiasts everywhere.

CONTACT: Taylor Friedman, friedman@sunshinesachs.com

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SOURCE Outdoor Recreation Roundtable