In November 2016, with bipartisan support, Congress passed the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Act (‘Outdoor REC Act’) and former President Obama signed it into law. This legislation directs the Department of Commerce via the Bureau of Economic Analysis to coordinate with the Departments of Agriculture and Interior and the Bureau of Economic Analysis to measure how the outdoor recreation economy contributes to the overall economy.

Prior to the passage of this legislation, the federal government didn’t measure the economic output of the outdoor recreation industry as it did other sectors of the economy despite the fact that outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse in the U.S. With this legislation, the outdoor recreation economy is now counted as part of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Bureau of Economic Analysis data from 2019 shows that the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.1 percent ($459.8 billion) of current-dollar GDP generating $788 billion in gross output and supporting 5.2 million jobs.

Now that the federal government is recording the economic benefits of outdoor recreation just as it does for all other major industries that contribute to the GDP, Western communities with outdoor recreation economies now have more leverage when urging the federal government to invest resources in the maintenance of land and water resources that are so vital to their economic success.

The Mountain Pact ACTIONS

  • On February 14, 2018, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released a prototype report detailing the contribution of the outdoor recreation
    industry to the overall United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

  • On September 20th, 2018 the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released updated statistics on economic contributions from the outdoor industry.

  • Sixteen towns sent letters to Congressional leadership on the importance of outdoor recreation to their local economies.

  • Fourteen chambers of commerce and economic development corporations signed a letter urging the Trump Administration to support the Bureau of Economic Development study quantifying the economic contributions of the outdoor recreation industry.

  • Valley Partnership's Chris Romer published an op-ed in the Denver Business Journal on February 3, 2017.

  • Whitefish City Council member, Richard Hildner, published an op-ed on February 20, 2017.

  • Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association president and CEO, Marianne Virgili, published and op-ed on July 23, 2017.

  • City Council Member Nathan Boddie from Bend, Oregon published an op-ed on July 29, 2017.

If you are interested in more information about this or The Mountain Pact in general, please email info@themountainpact.org.