PRINCETON, Mass. - State leaders announced Monday the creation of the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation.

At a press conference at Wachusett Mountain, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said the goal of the new office is to make sure everyone in the state is able to enjoy state parks and outdoor areas. 

State leaders said while they want people to enjoy the state's natural resources, this office will also help boost the economy. They said when everyone has access to the outdoors, more people will learn to care about the environment.

"And so this is part of natural resources, environment, getting outdoors, healthy choices, and it didn't take a pandemic for us to discover the great outdoors are really good for us, but it is also a part of our economy," Polito said. "And so while we have these natural resources and we as an administration has prioritized our state parks and our outdoor areas and invested millions of dollars to make them accessible and open for people to come and enjoy."

Polito said 17 other states already have similar offices. Massachusetts leaders said they'll continue to work to break down barriers like transportation to make sure everyone has access to the parks.