Oxbow Strategies

10/08/2026

Virginia is getting serious about its outdoor economy and that’s good news for our area.

With a newly created full-time Director of Outdoor Recreation in place, there’s an opportunity to give outdoor businesses and communities across Virginia the attention they deserve.

But the work doesn’t stop in Richmond. That’s a big part of why the VA MTNS Outdoor Collective exists. Bringing businesses, local governments, nonprofits, and outdoor advocates together to build an industry that’s stronger because we’re working together.

Our founder, Mike Clark, recently wrote about this next chapter for Virginia in Cardinal News.

Some communities have incredible resources but lack infrastructure, businesses, organizational capacity or investment. Some need trails, while others need river access. Many places need outfitters,…

10/06/2026

Good judgment usually requires more than choosing between the two positions already sitting on the table.

This week’s The Bend looks at discernment, independent thought, and the value of asking another question before reaching a conclusion.

Also inside: the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the economic case for conservation.

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The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s a project, a partne...

09/30/2026

Careers rarely look as tidy while we’re living them as they do when we tell the story about them later. This week’s The Bend is about changing direction while finding your way and being okay when the next step is not completely clear.

It also recognizes Virginia Career Works and looks at the many different ways people can find careers in the broader outdoor economy.

Read and subscribe below.

The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s a project, a partne...

09/26/2026

On National Public Lands Day, it’s worth noting that the outdoor economy doesn’t necessarily begin at a national park or a faraway destination. For most of us, it starts much closer to home.

A local trail.
A neighborhood park.
A greenway.
A river access.

These are the places where people first discover what it means to get outside and where lifelong outdoor habits begin. Those habits eventually support outfitters, bike shops, guides, restaurants, breweries, lodging, events, and countless other businesses that make up the outdoor economy.

Simply put, local parks are infrastructure for healthy communities and healthy local economies.

On National Public Lands Day and every day, cheers to the places that make getting outside part of everyday life and to the people who build, maintain, and protect them.

09/21/2026

The VA MTNS Fall Gear Guide is officially live!

Right as Summer was beginning, we tried something new: instead of putting together another generic list of outdoor gear, we asked members of the Collective to tell us what they actually use and recommend.

It worked, so we brought it back for Fall.

Inside this edition you’ll find recommendations for running, hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, and plenty of other ways to spend a fall day outside. More importantly, you’ll meet some of the local and regional businesses behind those recommendations.

That’s really what this is about. Good gear is part of the outdoor experience but so are the businesses, shops, makers, and people who make our outdoor economy work.

Check out the 2026 Fall Gear Guide, and stay tuned. We’ll be highlighting individual picks and contributors over the next few weeks.

Cooler mornings, shorter days, and the best trail conditions of the year: however you spend your fall outside, good gear can make a difference. Instead of putting together a generic buyer’s guide, we asked businesses from across the region to share the products they actually use, recommend, and re...

09/15/2026

Good judgment doesn’t always mean sticking rigidly to the original plan. The fact of the matter is the circumstances can change. Oftentimes an imperfect option preserves a larger opportunity and progress may take a route we wouldn’t have initially chosen.

This week’s The Bend looks at shortsightedness versus keeping the bigger picture in view. Check it out and subscribe below.

Oxbow

09/09/2026

Some roads are important and some places are important because they don’t have them.

For 25 years, the Roadless Rule has limited new road construction and most timber harvesting in designated areas of our national forests.

Now, the U.S. Forest Service has proposed rescinding it, including protections affecting the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests here in Virginia.

Why should the outdoor community care?

These landscapes help protect the experience surrounding the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway. They provide habitat and cold-water streams. They help protect drinking water. And they provide the kind of wild, backcountry recreation that is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable to communities whose economies and identities are tied to the outdoors.

This is a national policy decision with very real implications here in the Virginia mountains. Fortunately, the public can comment on the proposal here:

Submit your comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS-2025-0001-223869

And check out this story from WSLS 10 / WSLS.com featuring the Roanoke Region’s own Rupert Cutler: https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2026/09/09/the-roadless-rule-has-protected-virginias-national-forests-for-25-years-heres-what-repealing-it-could-mean/

Our forests are a part of what makes this region a place people want to visit, live, work, and build outdoor businesses. Let’s do what we can to protect them.

09/01/2026

Success can create distance but Dolly Parton seemed remarkably good at refusing to let it.

This week’s The Bend talks about staying connected to the people and places that shaped us, recognizes the Imagination Library, and looks at the relationship between outdoor recreation, tourism and sense of place.

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Oxbow

08/18/2026

Just because a decision is allowed doesn't mean the conversation should end there. Public service requires thinking about intent and how our actions will be understood by the people we serve.

That's where this week’s The Bend starts. Also included is a shoutout to Virginia Economic Developers Association and a look at advocacy in the outdoor economy.

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08/04/2026

Oxbow is entering a different season.

With Owner and Principal Consultant Mike Clark’s new role at Franklin County now underway, he’ll be taking on a lot less consulting work and publishing The Bend less frequently. It’s important to do both well on a smaller scale than allow either to become something that’s simply squeezed into the calendar.

This week’s edition of The Bend is about knowing when to pull back.

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