Congrats to Rob Sendak of WWRC for earning a spot on the new Washington Tourism Authority Board established by the state to kick-start tourism promotion efforts in WA.  Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointment of nine members to the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority Board. The members, from a diversity of backgrounds and regions throughout the state, will oversee a new fund to promote tourism in Washington state.

This is an exciting time for Oregon and for Oregon’s 5th and 6th grade students as OSU Extension works in collaboration with schools, partners, and communities to launch the statewide Outdoor School program, building on a legacy that began in 1966.

Tourism is Washington's fourth largest industry.  It provides more than 177,000 jobs, brings in more than $21 billion to our economy annually, and returns $2.50 to $20 in tax revenue for every $1 spent on tourism marketing.  The big-picture achievements we are trying to accomplish have been outlined by the Washington State Tourism Marketing Committee, composed of members of the WTA, state DMOs, the Washington State Department of Commerce, and the WSDMO and other interested stakehoders.  View the recently produced marketing plan designed to attract domestic and international visitors to our wonderful state of Washington.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is making available for public review its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing effects of our proposed approval of the San Joaquin River Salmon Conservation and Research hatchery program currently in operation within the San Joaquin River Basin, California. The program is described in a Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) prepared by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

As discussions heat up over land use issues both locally and nationally, a panel of area high tech industry executives met in Bozeman on Thursday to discuss the importance of outdoor access, recreation and public lands to their businesses. Hosted by advocacy group Business for Montana’s Outdoors, the public meeting amounted to a celebration of the positive impacts the outdoors has on an industry typically more associated with cubicles than cutthroat trout.