Fall Regional Spotlight: Putting Outdoor Recreation on the Map
Launched in 2023, the Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Inventory is a visionary project to create a robust, publicly accessible catalog of outdoor recreation sites and activities across the state. Historically, a single inventory of outdoor recreation offerings did not exist. Limited maps and data files existed in various places, often housed on agency websites (state, county, municipality, etc.) or in crowd-sourced, activity-specific apps.
For the first time, this outdoor recreation data is available in one central location. The Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation has collected over 50,000 geographic information systems (GIS) files for 12 key outdoor recreation categories from more than 100 partners to populate the launch of the Wisconsin Explorer Tool. From here, the public can access, explore and download this data for free. This innovative inventory tool makes outdoor recreation information readily available for businesses, organizations and communities to tap into the economic potential of outdoor recreation.
Taylar Foster is the Project and Outreach Specialist at the Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation, joining the team in November 2023. Created by the Department of Tourism, the Office is charged with supporting and uplifting Wisconsin’s diverse outdoor recreation industry for the benefit of all. Foster brings nearly two decades of experience working in community and land use planning, communications, public outreach and project management to her work at the Office.
An avid recreationist, Taylar loves exploring new parts of Wisconsin by trail running, rock climbing, camping and cross-country skiing. She fuels her passion to increase access to the outdoors and foster connection with our natural resources by being actively involved in the Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park and the Wisconsin Climbers Association.
Make sure to register for the Fall Regional Meeting and get your hotel room now! Additional details, including the full preliminary agenda, can be found on the event page.