CHALLENGE

Across the American West, rural communities have vast potential for economic vitality through outdoor recreation and tourism, thanks to their world-class natural assets and unique cultural identities. However, they often lack the requisite capacity to plan and coordinate as outdoor recreation destinations. Without intentional planning, visitors may bypass local businesses and leave negative word-of-mouth reviews. That opportunity cost is huge. Additionally, communities can face repercussions from high visitor volumes without proper infrastructure, such as parking fiascos and overflowing garbage receptacles.  Proactive investment in the outdoor recreation experience maximizes positive economic and social impacts. Beyond attracting visitors, it can also significantly improve quality of life for locals and create a place where people want to move and stay.

SOLUTION

EPA’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) program provides tailored technical assistance and a simple planning framework. The program centers on uniting local leaders around a detailed, concrete action plan to advance outdoor recreation, often connecting localities with state and federal resources to support their plan. In 2026, RERC will be delivered in 25 communities and regions across the country.

Serving on the RERC national facilitation team, Crosscurrent is working with the following communities/regions:

• Republic, a community in Northeastern Washington
• Clearwater County, surrounding the Clearwater River in central Idaho
• Prince William Sound, a vast region in south-central Alaska

Crosscurrent guides the RERC three-step process for local communities:

Phase 1: Assess, Engage & Plan
For each community, Crosscurrent facilitates four pre-workshop planning calls with a steering committee and planning team. These calls help establish the community’s current state of assets and resources. They are also an opportunity to identify federal and state agency partners, as well as community partners (municipal leaders, Tribal representatives, land managers, small business owners, and outdoor advocates). Using this information, Crosscurrent prepares workshop logistics and drafts goals and strategies for refinement during the workshop.

Phase 2: Convene & Develop an Action Plan
Crosscurrent supports and facilitates a two-day public workshop, both virtual and in-person, which includes a community tour. Over the two days, Crosscurrent guides local partners in defining community goals and specific actions to advance each goal and address challenges.  After settling on a shared vision for recreation-driven opportunities, Crosscurrent presents relevant case studies that inform a process of generating ideas and potential strategies.

Phase 3: Finalize Plan & Identify Resources
Using insights and the guiding vision from the two-day workshop, Crosscurrent finalizes the RERC Community Action Plans over three follow-up conference calls. The team creates strategic roadmaps that outline clear goals and refined actions, ranging from Main Street connectivity and active transportation to trail infrastructure and cultural stewardship. These follow-up meetings also develop a framework to maintain capacity and momentum during multi-year implementation.

IMPACT

Republic – Northeastern Washington
The RERC program established planning infrastructure to transform Republic’s outdoor recreation into a more powerful and resilient part of its economy. By positioning the town as a regional recreation hub, businesses stand to benefit from increased foot traffic, and locals will enjoy more expansive recreation opportunities.

Clearwater County – Central Idaho
In Clearwater County, the RERC program developed a countywide outdoor recreation tourism strategy that connects its water, forest, and trail resources. While planning is still underway, community partners are working to synchronize efforts across the county, channel visitor dollars to local businesses, unite around a shared strategy, and build resilience to wildfire and flood disruptions.

Prince William Sound – vast region of Southeastern Alaska
Rather than focusing on a single town or recreation project, Crosscurrent is working with Prince William Sound to develop a coordinated regional outdoor recreation strategy across multiple communities and tribal villages. This area is roughly 10,000 square miles of water and surrounding land along Alaska’s south-central coast, including more than 3,000 miles of shoreline and dozens of islands. RERC workshops emphasized connecting disparate communities around the Sound and improving coordination among government and tribal partners under a shared goal of developing and promoting outdoor recreation.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

1. Served as lead facilitator on a national facilitation team to the EPA
2. Facilitated broad, multi-stakeholder steering committees to form and produce the program locally
3. Designed and led two-day community strategy workshops tailored to distinct rural Western geographies
4. Supported the development of community action plans with a broad cross-section of local partners alongside state and federal agency contributions
5. Authored community summary reports to summarize work accomplished and showcase the community action plan

PROJECT PARTNERS:

1. Northbound Ventures
2. Alaska Outdoor Alliance