The Appalachian Regional Commission has selected a team led by Buckeye Hills to participate in the 2024 Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative. Since 2007, ARC has partnered with The Conservation Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts to help communities bordering national and state parks, forests, and other public lands develop thoughtful tourism strategies.
Southeast Ohio is known for its beauty and tourism economy. Through this initiative, BHRC and partners plan to find ways to draw visitors to the region’s lesser-known, hidden-gem state parks while building robust downtown economies.
Partners in the Buckeye Hills Recreation Corridor include the Wayne National Forest’s Marietta Unit, Noble County Ohio Economic Development, Buckeye Trail Association, Ohio’s Winding Road, Hocking Hills Tourism Association, Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia, Little Cities of Black Diamonds, Morgan County Commissioners, Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Follow the River Environmental.
The Buckeye Hills Recreation Corridor will unite communities to create a shared strategy to capitalize on the growing natural resource tourism sector in the region. In April, these project partners will join six teams from across Appalachia in Decatur, Alabama, where they’ll create plans around local assets to attract more visitors, bolster downtowns, expand events, enhance visitor services, and more.
