Outdoor Chattanooga, a division within the city's Parks and Outdoors Department, is celebrating 20 years of serving the Scenic City. Now, the team has its eyes on the next four years with a new strategic plan.

In a 20-page document, the Strategic Plan for 2024-28 touches on milestones over the last two decades, the mission of the department + the five goals that are the heart of the plan. Let us break it down for you.

Community Health and Wellness
Goal: To connect others to the mental, physical, and emotional benefits the outdoors offers.

Think: Streamlining access, offering entry programs for those with low/fair health, highlighting how nature can heal + maintaining healthy lands and water resources.

Connecting People and Nature
Goal: To get recognized as a regional leader in outdoor adventure + sports by "forging a strong bond with the natural world."

Think: Completing a 10-year visionary framework, being a thought leader (focused on impacts of nature), aiding like-minded initiatives as a force multiplier, designing educational resources + establishing two annual events.

Access to the Outdoors
Goal: To create inclusive and safe access to programs, allowing for folks of all backgrounds to be included in activities and plans alike.

Think: Outreach and introductory programming, prioritizing representation, actions for accountability + planning with climate change in mind (with a specific focus on Equity Investment zones).

Regional Outdoor Economy
Goal: To foster entrepreneurial opportunities within the outdoor industry, focusing on small businesses, nonprofits, startups, etc.

Think: Being an advocate and informational hub, supporting the spaces within the outdoor economy, attracting industry events, building next-generation outdoors workforce + assisting the development of the Tennessee Office of Outdoor Recreation.

Building a Solid Foundation
Goal: To prepare for a larger vision by utilizing a sustainable + successful group of workforce, technologies, infrastructure, and programs.

Think: Team building, assisting Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga, aligning funds with the One Chattanooga plan, creating an industry roadmap + expanding community partners' benefits.

Next steps — stay updated by joining Outdoor Chattanooga's newsletter.