For rural America in decline—those small towns of shuttered factories, sawmills, and schools—outdoor recreation is the new hope. Smokestack-chasing is out, the public is told. A diversified economy based on environmental protection is in.
Last month, the Biden Administration relaunched an outdoor recreation council and promised to expand the industry to “help people thrive across rural America.” But reviving a struggling town isn’t a simple task.
In rural Appalachia, structural forces have left much of the region behind as economic and political power shifts to the Sun Belt. Yet, the decline isn’t terminal or guaranteed.
Locals have two options: They can repeat the foolishness of the past by putting hope in utopian promises for one giant industry to save them; or, they can build up local leadership to make communities more livable and organically grow a variety of existing businesses.
Though one approach won’t work…
