The outdoor recreation economy helps mountain communities to diversify economically by making them more attractive to new residents, entrepreneurs and small businesses, and investments that provide towns with a competitive advantage to attract businesses and employees wanting to live close to outdoor recreation opportunities. For the outdoor economy to continue to thrive, it is crucial that policymakers understand that the connection between visits to and uses of our national public lands, local jobs, and the economy of Western communities, are inextricably linked.
In February, sixteen towns sent letters to Congressional leadership on the importance of outdoor recreation to their local economies.