When the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources worked with Governor Tom Wolf to secure funding for three new state parks, we knew it was the right thing to do for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers. Part of our reasoning was derived from studies the Times Observer editorial noted in its piece, “Our opinion: State’s high cost for natural gems,” and also because we see now as the perfect opportunity to grow Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy.

When we made the case to spend money from the state’s Oil and Gas Lease Fund, which must be reinvested into conservation and the environment by constitutional mandate, and lobbied for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to address a greater need for investment in public lands and its infrastructure, we knew the people supported our goals as evidenced in a Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF) study of 701 registered Pennsylvania voters. Two-thirds of respondents believed “funding for outdoor recreation facilities, such as parks, trails, lakes, and overnight visitor facilities in parks and forests, should be considered a priority by the state government.”

Why is that important? Because as we began shaping our new normal, a majority of Pennsylvanians said the outdoors should be a priority for state spending. Based on feedback from the public, and an understanding of our critical infrastructure needs, we knew it was time to make overdue investments in public lands and outdoor recreation. Put simply, outdoor recreation adds $12 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and that number appears to be on the rise as more people continue to turn to the outdoors for refuge. So, the time to invest in outdoor recreation is now, before development takes up the land that is available and while there is public support.

To that point, it is important to note that the $45 million spent to create Susquehanna Riverlands, Big Elk Creek and Vosburg Neck state parks isn’t the only investment the state is putting into growing outdoor recreation.

Consider the $75 million down payment to make critical infrastructure improvements at existing parks and forests, many of which operate with infrastructure that is more than 70 years old. The department is also adding a new motorized recreation area to provide new opportunities that ATV and other off-road enthusiasts have clamored for. We also are currently looking for bidders to create a four-season recreation adventure center at Denton Hill State Park, with a commitment to invest more than $10 million in that new vision. We are coming off of back-to-back record investments in Community Conservation Partnership Program Grants, where the previous historic high of $70 million in awards in 2021 was topped by $90 million in awards in 2022, with an unprecedented supplemental grant round that closed Thursday. That grant round is aimed at helping underserved communities, closing trail gaps, supporting an invigorated focus on the outdoor recreation sector, and planting trees along streams and in communities.

What should be clear by this point is that DCNR and the commonwealth are investing in outdoor recreation to ensure it becomes a greater part of our economy. Last August, I went on WESA’s The Confluence with Kevin Gavin to have a conversation about why Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy is smaller than the 2.1 percent GDP average for all 50 states. It was a spirited, ranging conversation where we discussed DCNR’s strategic vision for the future of outdoors in Pennsylvania, and I believe it is worth revisiting some of the points in that conversation now to address why investing in three new state parks is the right move for Pennsylvania.

Our state has a larger, more diverse economy than many of the states where the outdoor recreation GDP is higher. Only Florida, which has a heavily tourism-based economy that can operate year-round, has an outdoor recreation economy that rivals states like Maine, Montana, Wyoming and others where there are far fewer attractions and much smaller economies. A diverse economy is a strong and resilient economy, and outdoor recreation occupies a significant place in Pennsylvania’s. Indeed, based on this same data outdoor recreation contributes more to Pennsylvania’s GDP than agriculture, forestry, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction combined.

We are making significant investments in the outdoors because what every survey has shown us beyond the public’s desires is a need to reimagine how we manage public lands so that those who turned to the outdoors during the pandemic see consistent value in spending time in nature and continue making it a regular part of their normal lifestyle.

Not only does that mean investing in the state’s public lands, that also means investing in local, county and regional projects that help make the outdoors more appealing and accessible to Pennsylvanians. That is an investment we believe will pay dividends for generations.

Cindy Adams Dunn is the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.