The Outdoor Recreation Economy: Impact of the Natural Resources Management Program-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The growth of the outdoor recreation economy is so impressive it’s now tracked as a separate item within the overall national economy. This economic sector continues to build on the strength of outdoor recreation interest heightened during the 2020-2022 COVID pandemic when a significant increase in visitation occurred on public lands. Nationwide, outdoor recreation reached $1.2 trillion in 2023, with boating and fishing as the largest component: $36.8 billion in sales of boats and fishing equipment! (https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation).  

The value of lakes and waters managed by USACE places the importance of the agency in providing access to these popular activities. The Corps Foundation tracks this economy and its corresponding impacts on recreation areas managed by USACE. The data and analysis contribute to real-time information we use to advocate for increased funding and changes to authorities that benefit access for the visiting public and improve efficiencies for park managers and field staff.

Water Safety Initiatives

Since the award of a series of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund grants the Corps Foundation assisted in implementing the “Life Jacket’s Worn,-...Nobody Mourns” campaign targeting high-risk, adult boaters. The primary goal of this campaign was to reduce the number of recreational boating injuries and fatalities nationwide. We accomplished this through recreational boating and water-safety education and outreach promotions that continue to cultivate a boating public that is better prepared to engage in safe boating behaviors, especially life jacket wear. Through the final USCG grant, we continued digital marketing; developed new promotional campaign products, including video PSA's, purchased advertising that provokes adults to wear life jackets; and continued the popular Life Jacket Video Contests.

Progressive Insurance in partnership with the Corps Foundation, USACE and the American Park Network funded 5,450 life jackets for loaner stations at USACE projects experiencing frequent drownings. Having life jackets readily available to the public encourages their use to prevent drownings. The USCG approved adult-sized life jackets are available to borrow at no cost and are returned at the end of the day. 

This partnership resulted in the 2026 Corporate Stewardship Partner Award from the Public Lands Alliance organization.

Wappapello Lake Ranger Andrew Jefferson with some of the Progressive Insurance life jackets donated for USACE loaner stations

Volunteers Show Their Love of Service at Corps Lakes!

Almost 43,000 volunteers shared their time, skills and enthusiasm to enhance the visitor experience at USACE lakes, repaired infrastructure and worked on environmental stewardship projects in 2025- that’s 1,907,476 volunteer hours contributed!  

Volunteers are honored in a number of ways at individual lake projects, including the uniquely designed coins designed specifically for volunteers paid for by the Corps Foundation. In 2025, 61 coins were awarded to local volunteers nominated by park staff. Additionally, the Foundation sponsors its own Enduring Service volunteer recognition for long-time volunteers (6 years or more). It’s impressive that so many nominated for this award have contributed in excess of six years-many for 10-20 years!

The Foundation awards a special coin, engraved plaque and $250 to one individual awardee and one family award. 

In 2025, the Foundation awarded Larry Kracht at Tuttle Creek Dam (Kansas) and Michael and Sharon Mick from Burnsville Lake (West Virginia).  

Support to Local Non-Profits at Corps Lakes

There are 60 non-profit cooperating associations at lakes managed by USACE that directly contribute volunteer hours, work events, staff visitor centers and campgrounds, and much more. While many of these non-profits are small, they play a big part in helping to manage recreation facilities and fund programming. To assist in governance and access to the larger partnership community, the Foundation established two scholarships in 2025 to send representatives from two cooperating associations to the annual Public Lands Alliance Convention (publiclandsalliance.org) held in Las Vegas, NV in Feb. 2025. 

Representatives from Mark Twain Lake Visitors and Educational Resource Center Committee in Missouri and Friends of Raystown in Pennsylvania attended educational sessions and explored the large trade show for items that can be purchased at their local gift/bookstore for fundraising.

Membership and Fundraising

The Corps Foundation is a membership organization. Our members are important contributors as donors and advocates for the NRM Program. The Foundation is so grateful for their support as we completed a recent Giving Tuesday campaign. Initiating a new fundraising program is challenging, but we raised over $3,000 as a jumpstart to our efforts going forward. If you were a donor and/or became a member- THANK YOU!  

Social Media and Outreach

Stay up to date on our activities via Facebook, Instagram and corpsfoundation.org 

An anecdotal history of the park ranger and natural resources program by reading Park Ranger Stories! Published in 2020 and awarded the 2021 Media Award from the National Association of Interpretation, Park Ranger Stories is still available by ordering on Amazon

L-R: Nancy Rogers and Pep Persio- current and former Corps Foundation board members on Congressional visit

Ask For What You Want: Advocacy and Success!

The Advocacy team in the Foundation DID ask for what they wanted for the last four years, and it’s YOU, the public that benefits!

The team did their homework and using their partnership contacts, assembled a committed group of advocates to amplify a concise agenda. Congressional visits, letters of support, targeted appeals- all paid off when President Joe Biden signed into law in January 2025, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 that included these key legislative authorities:

Here are the highlights:

* Volunteers- allows USACE to use appropriated funds to honor the thousands of volunteers that devote their time, expertise and passion for their local lakes. 

* Cooperative Joint Management Authority - Extends authority to non-profit partners to enter into Cooperative Joint Management agreements with USACE projects for providing recreation services. These partners will be allowed to collect user fees and retain up to 100% for use in maintenance and repair of local facilities.

* Fee Retention - Authorizes up to 80% of recreation fees paid by public users to be returned to the project where the fees were collected.  

Many, many thanks to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Public Lands Alliance, Southeast Tourism Society and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and its members for including our advocacy goals in their annual legislative outreach agendas. 

Above- Previous Winner

Butterfly and Pollinator Garden

Handshake Program Grants- A Little Extra Goes A Long Way

The USACE Handshake Program offers a source of seed money for worthwhile partnership projects. The objective is to provide an incentive to USACE field projects to utilize partnering initiatives to their fullest potential. In addition, this funding is intended to encourage local organizations to partner with USACE to construct, operate, and/or maintain local partnering projects.

Beginning in 2022 the Corps Foundation provided an additional $5,000 on a competitive basis to successful Handshake recipients. To date, over $20,000 has been granted to local projects. Here are the winning projects from 2025:

Kaw Lake, Oklahoma- At Kaw Lake the Corps Foundation’s $2,000 bonus will provide interpretive signs at a reconstructed pavilion and playground. The panels will showcase the history of Kaw Lake- highlighting USACE practices and missions such as prescribed burning, flood protection, pollinator fields, and invasive species control. Without these bonus funds the Kaw Lake staff would not have been able to purchase the interpretative panels. 

Tioga and Cowanesque Lake Project- $2,000 in funds to develop and produce interpretive signage is anticipated in 2026.