Sen. Welch visits to highlight new accessible trails in Bolton
September 27, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Sen. Peter Welch, right, on the trail. Courtesy photo
Creators and supporters of a new accessible trail network in Bolton recently hosted U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., to tour the trails and host a discussion about Vermont outdoor recreation.
The visit was coordinated with the U.S. Travel “Travel Works” program at The Driving Range mountain bike trail network created by the local nonprofit group, Richmond Mountain Trails, founded in 2017.
Opened in 2023, The Driving Range trails are located off of U.S. Route 2 on the site of a former driving range. The property includes a 53-spot parking lot at the trailhead for all trail users year-round. So far, 4 miles of trails have been built and opened with more phases planned for the 250+-acre parcel as fundraising allows.
The visit by Sen. Welch included a hike around the new adaptive-friendly trail system and a discussion with representatives from U.S. Travel, Vermont Tourism, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and state, local and industry leaders on tourism and outdoor Vermont recreation.
Participants talked about the challenges facing the travel and outdoor recreation industry, including accessibility, cross-border travel and business, infrastructure repairs, immigration policy reforms, rural development, and the need for outdoor recreation marketing and development funding.
“Vermont’s travel and outdoor recreation industry is an economic driver in our state, drawing folks from across the country and around the world to enjoy nature and community at its best. We’ve seen how back-to-back floods have impacted so much of our state, including this crucial sector, but it is clear today Vermont is open and ready for the fall tourism season,” Sen. Welch said. “I’ll continue to support innovative initiatives to bolster our outdoor recreation industry to ensure everyone—of all abilities—can access, enjoy, and explore all the Green Mountain State has to offer.”
Sen. Peter Welch (right blue shirt) joins a short hike on the new accessible trails at The Driving Range. Courtesy photo
Tori Emerson Barnes, U.S. Travel Executive vice president for public affairs and policy called Welch a “longtime champion” of the travel industry. “We look forward to our continued work with Sen. Welch and local leaders to support the growth of travel in Vermont and throughout the nation,” Barnes said.
When he was a member of the U.S. House, Welch introduced and helped pass the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act to ensure that the jobs and economic benefits of outdoor recreation would be measured as part of the overall GDP. Since that bill became law, the Bureau of Economic Analysis has been measuring the economic impact of outdoor recreation in Vermont.
Generating close $3 billion in travel spending in 2023 and nearly $400 million in retail sales in 2022, Vermont’s diverse outdoor recreation sector boosted local economies across the state, according to the government data.
Vermont’s outdoor recreation sector contributed 4.6% to the state’s economy last year, the second-highest rate in the country in terms of its contribution to the state’s GDP. Outdoor economic activity in Vermont grew the workforce to 15,000 workers in 2022 by 12.4%—the highest percentage growth in the country, the data shows.
In 2023, the United States reported $1.3 trillion in travel spending, representing 2.5% of the national GDP. Across the country, travel supported more than 15 million American workers— directly employing 8 million workers—and produced $2.8 trillion in economic output.
The group from the visit to The Driving Range trails with Sen. Peter Welch. Courtesy photo
The group assembled at The Driving Range trails included a variety of stakeholders in Vermont outdoor recreation both local and statewide, among them: U.S. Travel Association’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations Erik Hansen, Vermont Director of Lands Administration and Recreation Becca Washburn, Vermont Chamber of Commerce President Amy Spear, Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance Executive Director Kelly Ault, Vermont Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Heather Pelham, Bolton Valley President and CEO Lindsey DesLauriers, Kelly Brush Foundation founder Kelly Brush, Kim Jackson from Vermont Adaptive, Vermont Mountain Bike Association Executive Director Nick Bennett and Richmond Mountain Trails Director Bec Wojtecki.
More information is online about The Driving Range trail network.