Specifications include, but are not limited to:On behalf of the Towns of Weathersfield, West Windsor and Windsor, the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission (SWCRPC) is seeking a qualified consultant that can assist with assessing the economic impact of outdoor recreation, developing an implementation plan, evaluating the possible economic value of infrastructure projects, and prioritizing them based upon anticipated benefits. The consultant will assist the three towns with the following work tasks: Task 4: Evaluate the Economics of Recreation for the Participating Towns A. Based on other existing reports, complete a basic economic assessment to determine the value of existing outdoor recreation and related assets in this three town area (i.e. basic visitor spending economic and fiscal impact analysis). In performing this basic economic assessment, we expect that the consultant will utilize existing information. It is our hope that all of the available background information will enable this task to be completed fairly quickly and easily. This existing, or soon to be completed, information includes: 1) Vermont Trails and Greenways Council Economic Impact Study 2) Vermont Outdoor Industry Association Report 3) Existing data on Mt Ascutney State Park attendance and hiking trail usage 4) 2017 trail usage data from STAB/Upper Valley Land Trust 5) Findings from a trail visitor survey that the three communities will be conducting over the next few months. This survey is using a questionnaire that is very similar to the one used in the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council Economic Impact Study. (It is anticipated that we will have results from this survey by the late summer of 2018.) 6) Dartmouth College Policy Research Shop studies, including but not limited to an economic impact of outdoor recreation on this three town area. (This report should be available in April 2018.) 7) Green Mountain Horse Association Economic Impact Study Task 5: Develop an Implementation Plan The consultant will coordinate with the SWCRPC in the development of an implementation plan for desired future conditions (e.g. improvements to existing facilities, new connections and other improvements). The consultant will evaluate top priority improvements for likely positive impacts on the community. In other words, we hope that the consultant will be able to provide some sense of which projects will have a “bigger bang for the buck”. This will involve work on the following sub-tasks. A. Prioritize the desired improvements B. Evaluate feasibility of priority physical improvements (permitting constraints) C. Planning-level cost estimates E. Develop an implementation plan for priority improvements 1) Project description 2) Priority 3) Timing/schedule 4) Responsible party 5) Funding options
