More people heading outdoors

More people are heading outdoors as activities like crowded concerts, going to the movies, attending a baseball game are just not possible right now.

Scripps Reporter Maya Rodriguez looks at how the outdoors boom is helping to save some businesses and boost struggling economies.

GAME; THEY AREN'T POSSIBLERIGHT NOW.THAT HAS A GROWING NUMBER OFPEOPLE TURNING TO THE OUTDOORSFOR FUN.AS SCRIPPS REPORTER MAYARODRIGUEZ SHOWS US IT'SHELPING SAVE SOME BUSINESSESAND IT'S BOOSTING STRUGGLINGECONOMIES.<FOR MORE THAN TWO THOUSANDMILES.((NATS)) THE APPALACHIAN TRAILWINDS ITS WAY THROUGH MORE((14:59)) SANDY MARRA,APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY:"THIS COMMUNITY REPRESENTS ALLTHE COMMUNITIES UP AND DOWN THETRAIL." SANDY MARRA HEADS UPTHE APPALACHIAN TRAILCONSERVANCY.SHE SAYS EVER SINCE THEPANDEMIC BEGAN THERE'S BEENA NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN PEOPLEHIKING THE TRAIL.((06:11)) SANDY MARRA,APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY:"ON ANY GIVEN WEEKDAY, EVEN INTHE DEAD OF SUMMER, TYPICALLYYOU WOULDN'T SEE ANYONE OUT ONAND DURING THE WEEK NOW, YOUCOULD SEE DOZENS AND DOZENS OFPEOPLE JUST HIKING." AND THAT'SSOMETHING OTHER PUBLIC LANDSACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE SEEING,TOO IN THE TIME OF COVID-19((00:55)) DEBORAH WILLIAMS,OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION:"WE DID SEE A TREND OF MOREPEOPLE EXPLORING THE OUTDOORSIN MARCH AND APRIL AND THENTHAT REALLY DID CONTINUE INTOMAY AND JUNE.AND WHAT WE INITIALLY SAW IS ALITTLE BIT OF ESCAPISM, IN THEFIRST FEW WEEKS, ACTUALLYCONTINUED." AND THAT OUTDOORRECREATION CAN HAVE A BIGIMPACT ON THE ECONOMY.((GFX GOES HERE)) IN WESTVIRGINIA, FOR EXAMPLE THEOUTDOOR INDUSTRY IS RESPONSIBLEFOR MORE THAN 91-THOUSANDDIRECT JOBS 660- MILLIONDOLLARS IN LOCAL AND STATE TAXREVENUE AND 9 (B)-ILLIONDOLLARS IN CONSUMER SPENDING.ACROSS THE COUNTRY IT ALLADDS UP TO 887-(B)ILLION INCONSUMER SPENDING SUPPORTING7-POINT-6 MILLION JOBS.((END GFX HERE)) AND WILLIAMSSAYS THERE'S THE POTENTIALFOR THAT TO GROW EVEN MORE INPASSED BY CONGRESS AND SIGNEDINTO LAW BY THE PRESIDENT.((11:44)) DEBORAH WILLIAMS,OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION:"IT WILL FULLY FUND THE LANDAND WATER CONSERVATION FUND TOTHE TUNE OF $900 MILLIONMAINTENANCE OF OUR PUBLIC LANDSAND WATERS." BACK AT THEAPPALACHIAN TRAIL ((04:22))SANDY MARRA, APPALACHIAN TRAILCONSERVANCY: "BECAUSE OF THEPANDEMIC AND SO MANY PEOPLEWANTING TO GET OUTSIDE, WE WEREJUST - THE RESOURCE WAS BEINGOVERWHELMED." SANDY MARRA HOPESPEOPLE NOW REDISCOVERING THEOUTDOORS TAKE CARE TOPROTECT IT AS WELL.((09:27)) SANDY MARRA,APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY:"THIS IS A GREATCHANCE FOR US TO REACH A WHOLENEW AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE." //((09:44)) THIS IS THEIR PARK,RIGHT?

SO, THEY GET TO USE ITAND ENJOY IT, BUT THEY ALSOHAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TOO." SOTHAT FUTURE GENERATIONS GETTO EXPERIENCE WHAT'S GREATABOUT THE GREAT OUTDOORS.IN HARPERS FERRY, WESTVIRGINIA, I'M MAYA RODRIGUEZ.