Dear Outdoor Enthusiasts,
As you know Florida has long been touted for its diverse natural resources and the adventurous outdoor activities it supports. In earlier times outdoor recreation was often seen as nothing more than something people did to utilize their “leisure time”. However, in recent years, outdoor recreation has grown to become an essential part most Floridians everyday life as well as an important draw for tourism.
The Outdoor Industry Foundation estimates that $730 billion is pumped into the nation’s economy each year through active outdoor recreation activities such as bicycling, camping, fishing, hunting, paddling, wildlife viewing, trail-running, climbing and hiking. Outdoor recreation not only provides important economic benefits to state and local economies, but has been shown to have significant health benefits, while acting as an important tool in the acquisition and management of conservation lands. The time has come for outdoor recreation to be considered “mission critical” in Florida.
The Florida Outdoor Recreation Coalition (FLORC) is a new not-for-profit organization developed to give a voice to Florida’s nature based outdoor recreation industry and to unify the principle markets which includes outdoor recreation user groups, recreational providers (both public and private), and outdoor recreation businesses and suppliers.
On November 19-20, 2011 the initial Florida Outdoor Recreation Summit will be held in Sanford, Florida to openly discuss the future of this vital industry in Florida. We are targeting specific outdoor recreation clubs, public agencies, not-for-profits organizations and businesses that can significantly impact the growth and future of the outdoor recreation in Florida.
The attached agenda is a product of several focus groups that identified critical topics that need to be brought to the forefront at this first summit. Please take this letter as a personal invite for you and your organization to participate in this importance meeting. We understand the current economic situation that everyone is facing and therefore develop a tight agenda that takes up only one weekend. Also we have established a block of rooms at the Marriot Springhill Suites in Lake Mary at a rate of only $77.00 per night.
For more information on the Florida Outdoor Recreation summit and Florida Outdoor Recreation Coalition please log onto our website at www.florc.org. As always, please give me a direct call if you have any questions. The greater diversity in organizations attending this summit will lead to a greater outdoor recreation program in Florida. Thank you and look forward to seeing your organization at the summit.
Sincerely,
John C. Waldron, CPRP
Executive Director
Florida Outdoor Recreation Coalition
Please visit our Web site at http://www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.com for up-to-date information and more about who we are and what our mission is.