KINDERHOOK — Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, DN.Y., visited Columbia County Friday to outline new legislation aimed at invigorating the state’s outdoor industry.
Schumer chose a section of the Empire State Trail in Kinderhook as the site to discuss the Outdoor Rural Investment Act at a press conference.
“Foreign tourism is a booming industry for us,” Schumer said. “And despite this, federal investment has remained low for programs that support outdoor recreation. We have a lot of federal programs to encourage manufacturing, encourage small businesses, encourage a lot of different things, but we don’t have much to encourage outdoor tourism, and that’s why I’m here today.”
The Rural Outdoor Investment Act is designed to get the federal government to improve and invest in rural outdoor areas, Schumer said.
New York’s outdoor recreation industry generates more than $21 billion in additional economic activity and $15.9 billion in wages and salaries, Schumer said. New York’s outdoor recreation industry provides 240,000 jobs.
The legislation does three things: it invests in outdoor recreation infrastructure, it supports communities with money for planning, and it offers business assistance.
Historically, outdoor infrastructure has been underfunded, Schumer said. Columbia County, he said, has excellent shorelines in many of the cities, but access to them is limited due to a lack of boat ramps, boardwalks and other outdoor facilities.
“The bill creates a $150 million grant program each year for outdoor recreation infrastructure, through the EDA (Economic Development Administration),” Schumer said.
The planning money will go to small towns and villages to help with things like marketing, branding, business development, fundraising and tourism management. Schumer said the legislation would provide $25 million over five years in planning grants for communities to create recreational economy plans, and $12.5 million over five years for university partnerships to promote research, education and technical assistance to stakeholders and local businesses.
“A lot of our towns have great ideas, but you know you can’t have a great idea,” Schumer said. “You need to plan it, you need to hire an engineer, an architect, a planner to do it.”
The business assistance will help recreation-related businesses such as outdoor gear and equipment rentals, transportation, guides and equipment providers, in addition to hotels, restaurants and retail stores, Schumer said. The legislation would invest $62.5 million for the recreational economies of rural communities.
“This bill is, of course, about the outdoors,” Schumer said. “Connect with nature, exercise, stay healthy, enjoy the beauty of the world. But it’s also about a four-letter word: JOBS.
This type of activity draws people to towns and villages and helps create jobs, Schumer said.
The positive thing that has come out of the pandemic has been that people have discovered the beauty of this area, he said. Outdoor Magazine ranked the Empire State Trail as the best rail trail in America last month.
“What was number 1? Was it Yellowstone? Was it the Canyon of Moab? Schumer asked the crowd of about 30 people. “It was right here. Here are people. The 25 best rail trails in the United States. No. 1: Empire State Trail.”
The trail draws thousands of people to the county and to small townships like Kinderhook each year, Schumer said.
