Across the nation, people are rediscovering the great outdoors. Enjoyed as a respite from daily stressors, the public lands surrounding small growing communities are being viewed as the best way to recover from the challenges of COVID-19 and to sustainably grow burgeoning outdoor recreation economies. While some communities already have robust outdoor recreation resources, others are looking to enhance or develop new trails, access points to nature, and awareness of these local destinations. Questa is leading the way by doing just that.
On Wednesday, October 13 at 6 pm, at the Village of Questa Council Chambers, the Questa Recreation Assessment will be presented. This report includes an inventory of outdoor recreation opportunities in the area and makes recommendations on how Questa can fully utilize these resources. The presentation will be an in-person meeting with a Zoom option available.
“We have this tremendous opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers to come into Questa, use this as a base camp, and thoroughly take advantage of the lands that are protected and available to the public,” said Lynn Skall, Questa Economic Development Fund Director. That opportunity is being further enhanced by Public Land Solutions (PLS), a Utah nonprofit that helps communities identify current and potential recreation assets as part of a larger, community-based proposal to enhance the local outdoor recreation economy.
In January, Public Land Solutions fa-cilitated a series of stakeholder meetings with representatives from the Questa area to help determine which outdoor activities are immediately available for visitors to use and which would benefit from further development or additional infrastructure. In addition to outdoor recreation enthusiasts, those with cultural interests were also consulted, as the full scope of this project includes activities that would draw visitors from all walks of life. Over the summer, the data and feedback from these meetings were analyzed and compared with the outdoor recreation audit completed in late 2020. Now recommendations are ready to be made.
Drawing visitors and economic growth to Questa is one of two main goals addressed in the recommendations PLS will present at the October 13t meeting in Questa. The other is improving the quality of life for residents of Questa. The stakeholder engagement process ensures that local voices are heard and acknowledged for being ex-perts in their own backyard. Encouraging and growing visitation to the region will have long-term benefits and attract entrepreneurs and established business-es, but ultimately the residents of Questa will benefit the most from a wide range of current and future opportunities to get outside.
For more information about the Report please contact: Krystyna Dillard-Crawford, Communications Director, email: krystyna@publicland-solutions.org.
