A forester and arborist from Chesterfield County is the state’s first director of outdoor recreation.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger introduced Heather Barrar at a Tuesday event in Danville, where the governor spent her day at numerous events.
The position is focused on growing Virginia’s outdoor recreation economy, Spanberger said at the event at Riverfront Park, which opened in May.
“We are fortunate as a commonwealth to have incredible outdoor spaces,” she said. “It’s not just important to our quality of life. Outdoor recreation is a significant and growing sector of our economy.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation is a $14.4 billion industry, supporting more than 126,000 jobs, Spanberger said at the announcement. Outdoor recreation also plays a role in conservation, public health and community resilience.
Barrar will also support communities that rely on tourism and increase economic development across the state, according to a Tuesday news release from the governor’s office.
Barrar said that her love of the outdoors began when she was a child and has carried into her career. She has worked as a principal planner with Chesterfield County and regional trails program director for Plan RVA and Friends of the Lower Appomattox River in the greater Richmond area.
“I know how important the outdoors has been to my life. It strengthens our physical and our mental health. It builds community and it makes us resilient,” Barrar said. “Outdoor recreation is so much more than a personal benefit. It is a major economic driver of the commonwealth of Virginia.”
Also Tuesday, Spanberger signed Executive Directive 3, which establishes a statewide process to “make sure that Virginia’s outdoor recreation economy strategy reflects the needs and perspectives of local communities across the commonwealth,” according to the release.
As part of that process, Barrar will go on a statewide listening tour to hear from outdoor communities across the state’s 10 tourism regions.
“Listening and learning is the first priority in my role in these first few months,” Barrar said.
At the Danville event, Spanberger also announced the establishment of a state outdoor recreation stakeholder advisory group, which will be co-chaired by Barrar and first gentleman Adam Spanberger.
“It brings together 25 stakeholders with backgrounds in outdoor industry, business, conservation, economic development, tourism, workforce, health and local government,” Gov. Spanberger said.
By April 1, Barrar is charged with submitting a strategy work plan and a stakeholder report to the governor’s office, Spanberger said.
Guided by the report, “we will leverage outdoor recreation as a driver of economic development,” Spanberger said. “That means supporting business growth and entrepreneurship, increasing tourism and visitor spending and strengthening workforce recruitment and retention. It also means helping communities, particularly in rural and underserved communities, leverage outdoor assets to create jobs and attract investment.”
