Economic benefits of tourism featured at ARC workshop
Oct. 20—CUMBERLAND, Md. — Allegany and Garrett counties are working to partner with the Appalachian Regional Commission to better understand the economic benefits of attracting outdoors and lifestyles manufacturing companies to Western Maryland, according to Ashli Workman, director of Allegany County Tourism.
Workman spoke during a workshop titled Enhancing Maryland's World-Class Outdoor Recreation Industry held Wednesday morning at Dig Deep Brewery. The event was part of the activities surrounding the 2022 ARC Conference based at the Rocky Gap Casino Resort. The final day of the conference was Wednesday.
Maryland has three counties in the ARC footprint — Allegany, Garrett and Washington.
In addition to Workman, the workshop featured Daryl Anthony, Maryland's executive director of outdoor recreation; Bryan Perry, executive director of the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy; Mandela Echefu, co-owner of Wheelzup Adventures; and Lydia Savramis of Dig Deep Brewery.
"A project we are working on with ARC: Allegany and Garrett counties have applied for a grant from ARC to study the outdoor economy," Workman said. "The idea behind the study is to see how outdoor manufacturers can benefit our area. How do we attract outdoor manufacturers and lifestyle manufacturers to Western Maryland?
"So we are working with ARC to have a study done to develop a strategic plan and to develop a regional marketing study so the counties have a plan to attract these companies."
The conference at Rocky Gap brought together governors from the 13 states that fall in the Appalachian region. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is the commission's states' co-chair.
Workman said plans continue for a river park behind Canal Place that would feature docks for boats and kayaks, a moderate whitewater course and a viewing area.
"We have been working with the city of Cumberland, the county and the state on developing a Canal Place river park," Workman said. "This would be a multi-state, regional project. This would allow us to have downtown riverfront access to the Potomac River. Right now, we can't go to the Potomac River in downtown. This is frustrating for the community members and to our visitors."
Workman said planning is underway for a new trail that would connect Blackwater Falls in Tucker County, West Virginia, to Cumberland.
In May, Friends of Blackwater was granted more than $1.2 million in federal funding for the Blackwater Loop and Regional Heritage Trail project.
The funding would be used to construct an 8-mile loop trail connecting the towns of Thomas and Davis, Blackwater Falls State Park and the Monongahela National Forest, and design the 107-mile Blackwater Canyon Regional Trail that will extend from Elkins, West Virginia, to Cumberland. The regional trail will pass through four West Virginia counties, including Mineral.
Anthony said the cities of Asheville, North Carolina, and Bentonville, Arkansas, have seen amazing growth by developing outdoor recreation and tourism attractions in their communities.
Perry said the success story of the 150-mile GAP Trail between Cumberland and Pittsburgh took a long time to come to fruition and that patience is needed to create new attractions.
"The beautiful Great Allegheny Passage trail took 35 years to build and took a lot of collaboration to build," he said.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
