Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed the state’s budget bill into law, which subsequently created the Office of Outdoor Recreation within the state’s tourism department–an initiative that will help expand outdoor recreation opportunities in the state. With this measure, Wisconsin becomes the 14th state to establish an outdoor recreation office.

Wisconsin’s tourism secretary-designee, Sara Meaney, said, “Our goal is to leverage the Office of Outdoor Recreation into more travelers, greater economic impact for local communities and new career opportunities for Wisconsinites. We consider this to be a game changer for Wisconsin.”

In Wisconsin, outdoor recreation generates nearly $17.9 billion in consumer spending, contributes $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenue, and directly supports 168,000 Wisconsin jobs. The Wisconsin office will work to engage a new and diverse generation of Wisconsinites with the outdoors while focusing on growing local economies through recreation and tourism. Wisconsin is one of the first Midwest states to create a recreation office.