Biden Administration Reboots Outdoor Recreation Council

The Biden Administration announced the re-establishment of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR), an interagency effort that will work to create more safe, affordable, and equitable opportunities for Americans to get outdoors.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association president Frank Hugelmeyer and chairman of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable attended the White House ceremony announcing the revival of FICOR, alongside Outdoor Recreation Roundtable president Jessica Turner as well as leaders from the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

FICOR includes leaders from the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense and will focus on improving access to nature, expanding outdoor recreation opportunities, and providing the public with improved and more affordable experiences on America’s public lands and waters.

FICOR was originally developed under the Obama Administration in 2011 and provided a forum for federal agencies to coordinate recreation management, improve access, and provide a better recreation experience on federally managed lands and waters.

FICOR will continue its work on coordination of management policies to provide the public numerous recreation opportunities and help traditionally underserved communities access public lands and waters and the benefits of getting outside.

All of this will support America’s $689 billion outdoor recreation economy, which supports over 4.3 million American jobs – or 3 percent of the American workforce – and the health and social benefits that come with this lucrative economic driver.