Economic Impacts:
- $1.7 trillion = total economic impact and conservation investments made in the U.S. economy annually from outdoor recreation, natural resource conservation, and historic preservation in the United States.1,2,3
- Federal spending of $33.3 billion on natural resource conservation, recreation and historic preservation is the seed money that helps generates this $1.7 trillion economy.4
- This sector of the US economy is larger than the US auto and pharmaceutical industries combined.1
- The outdoor recreation economy grew approximately 5 percent annually between 2005 and 2011 during an economic recession when many sectors contracted.1
Return on Federal Investment:
- $211 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue is generated annually from this economy and the annual $33.3 billion Federal investment in natural resource conservation, recreation and historic preservation.
The Most Reliable American Jobs:
- 12.8 million = The American jobs dependent on outdoor recreation, conservation and historic preservation.1,2
- These jobs are almost exclusively non-exportable because they are dependent on America’s public lands, parks, wildlife refuges, forests, natural areas and historic places.
- These jobs are largely rural. In many cases they provide the only employment activity for some rural areas.
Sources of information:
1 “The Outdoor Recreation Economy”, 2012, Outdoor Industries Association, as measured by Southwick Associates.
2 “The Conservation Economy in America: Direct investments and economic contributions,” Southwick Associates, 2013.
3 Southwick Associates, “Combined Value of Outdoor Recreation, Natural Resource Conservation and Historic Preservation, 2013”, April 8, 2013.
4 Office of Management and Budget, FY 2012, outlays by Subfunctions 301, 302, 303, and 306.
