By: Sam Bailey, Strategic Initiatives Manager
A driving force in the Northern Lower Michigan economy is our status as a recreation destination; people are drawn here by the natural environment to use bikes, ATVs, skis, boats, kayaks, snowmobiles, fishing rods, and other outdoor toys. However, being a recreation destination means that we, as a state and a region, are generally only capturing the “final dollar” of the outdoor recreation industry, the dollars spent to purchase or use outdoor equipment.