The consumption of cultural and recreational activities is rising nationally, and there are opportunities for their supply in both rural and urban areas. In this brief paper I suggest five ways state legislators can help support rural communities’ efforts to develop local cultural and recreational opportunities: through environmental quality improvement and protection, through the development of supporting high quality infrastructure, through marketing and promotion, through training that helps rural residents develop the skills needed in recreational and cultural industries, and through help in the assessment of culture and recreation industry development opportunities.