DEEP Hosts Listening Tours

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has launched a statewide listening tour to engage with outdoor industries, businesses, guides, and recreations groups. 

The tour is part of its Fresh Tracks Series, an effort by DEEP to better understand how it can support the growth of Connecticut’s growing outdoor economy. 

Outdoor recreational activity is a vital industry in Connecticut, employing over 50,000 people and bringing in over $6 billion dollars.

DEEP is actively promoting opportunities to recreate outdoors through partnerships with outdoor industries, sister state agencies, trail builders, and conservation groups. 

The listening sessions will focus on the sector’s key assets and strengths, emerging challenges and opportunities, workforce needs, and areas where state support is most beneficial. 

“People who do this type of work do it because they love it and want to share their love for the outdoors with others,” said CBIA’s Chris Davis.

“It’s great to see the state being proactive in its engagement.”  

Businesses interested in scheduling a listening session should contact DEEP’s Office of Outdoor Industry and Experience lead Jeff Shaw. 

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For more information, contact CBIA’s James Rocco.