On Wednesday, September 27, the Park County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative celebrated the completion of the new Powell Boat Ramp with 25 community members at its official ribbon cutting ceremony.
Funded by Wyoming’s Office of Outdoor Recreation, this was the first completed project by the Park County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (PCORC) and will allow for better access to water sports on the Shoshone River south of Powell, Wyoming.
“Spending time in nature and the natural light can improve our mood and reduce stress. In addition to the positive impacts on our citizen’s quality of life, outdoor recreation is also an important part of our economy. The outdoor collaboratives throughout the state work to understand the needs of various user groups to identify projects that will have the most impact,” states Rep. Sandy Newsome, Wyoming House of Representatives District 24. “I am proud to be a member of the Park County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative. We have several projects underway that include the cooperation of the Federal, State and Local Government, and the State funding for this project has been essential to the completion of the improvements to this recreation area.”
This initiative was led by PCORC Steering Committee Member Mayor John Wetzel of Powell and was supported by local residents and businesses who contributed many volunteer hours to make the project a success including EA Engineers, Powell Economic Partnership and Ryno Rentals.
The new infrastructure includes a large parking area and concrete boat ramp on the southwest side of the Wyoming Highway 295 bridge. The recreation area is located on Wyoming Department of Transportation Land and will be managed by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s Cody Field Office.
“Celebrating PCORC’s first successful project would not have been the same without the support and attendance of collaborative members, our local and state project partners, and of course local recreationalists who were out enjoying the day and utilizing this new outdoor recreation area,” states Laurel Stephens, Outreach Coordinator for Wyoming’s Office of Outdoor Recreation. “This exciting project is one of many we hope to emerge in the coming years from our collaborative efforts across the state and current and future funding opportunities made available through our office.”
PCORC is one of seven collaboratives across the state facilitated by Wyoming’s Office of Outdoor Recreation. These collaboratives bring together local community members, stakeholders, federal and state agencies, and other NGOs to support sustainable outdoor recreation growth and enhancements.
To learn more about Wyoming Outdoor Recreation and existing collaboratives, please visit wyorec.com.