Explore Minnesota More
Stories about the outdoor recreation experience in Minnesota.
New episodes every other Thursday!
Have an idea for a show? Let us know! Contact: randolph.briley@state.mn.us
Explore Minnesota More
Let's Dive into the Latest Outdoor Rec Economic Numbers!
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
This episode is for the wonks out there. Outdoor recreation is a massive economic powerhouse in MN. It eclipses a number of traditional industries and yet few people (except for those of us who are rec nerds) understand the scale of the impact.
Every year the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis releases data quantifying the impact of the outdoor recreation industry.
The 2025 release was published on March 5, 2026 (don't ask, long story). As always the report supplied us with a wealth of data to tell the story of the value of our outdoor recreation industry.
In this episode we sit down with Chris Perkins, Vice President of Programs at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR). Chris is an expert on outdoor recreation economic development. He is the perfect person to provide a clear picture of what exactly the latest data means for MN.
If you're interested in the value of outdoor recreation, or just curious about why outdoor recreation is considered such a success story, now and into the future, this is an episode for you.
Credits:
Producers: Randolph Briley & Cody Nelson
Hosts: Sarah Strommen and Lauren Bennett McGinty
Original Music by Andrew Haaheim and Alsever Lake