New Report Shows Benefits of Protecting Public Lands to New Mexico Small Businesses

Public lands are essential to local economies in New Mexico and are the catalyst to creating new jobs, attracting entrepreneurs and visitors, and boosting consumer spending, according to a new economic report by Small Business Majority. "A Small Business Voice for Public Lands in the West" examines the importance of public lands in New Mexico, California, Colorado and Montana, and provides recommendations policymakers can take to ensure the protection of America's public lands and natural assets.

"Small business owners—who account for nearly half of all private-sector employment in this country—understand the connection between the preservation of public lands and the benefit that brings to their bottom lines," said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. "Washington should be focusing on creating new parks, expanding outdoor recreational opportunities and helping protect the public lands that draw in visitors and give an economic boost to their communities."

The report recommends the federal government formally track jobs in the outdoor recreation industry and recommends Congress fully fund and reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, among others. Why? Because protecting national public lands helps sustain small businesses and local communities in New Mexico and the West. The report found:

• Nearly 30 percent of New Mexico's lands are public lands, a vast number that helps contribute to $6.1 billion in consumer spending, 68,000 jobs, $1.7 billion in wages and salaries, and $458 million in state and local tax revenues.
• Nearly six in 10 small business owners in New Mexico believe designating new national parks and monuments would enhance local jobs and the economy, and 54 percent say it would impact small business opportunities tied to public lands.
• A sweeping 94 percent of small business owners in the state believe public spaces drawing tourists can boost business for local restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and more, and six in 10 believe allowing more private companies to develop such lands would limit the public's enjoyment of them.

"Protecting public lands is a chance for our government to demonstrate that they can do something for all of us," said Tina Cordova, president of Queston Construction in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "As a small business owner, public lands are an important part of the success of my business and other small businesses. Public lands attract tourists and consumers from around the world who shop at smaller local businesses, bolstering the local economy. Land is the one thing we can't make any more of, and protecting the public lands we have is necessary for the growth of our communities and the well-being of the small business community, to say nothing of the entertainment value of the land for those of us who enjoy the outdoors."

Additional polling from Small Business Majority found small business owners believe protecting public lands would positively impact small business opportunities, local job growth, state economies and more. Nearly four in five small business owners believe designating new national parks and monuments would enhance local jobs and the economy, and a sweeping 94 percent believe public spaces that draw tourists can boost business for local restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and more.

To view the full report, please visit: http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/public-lands/041615-public-lands-west.php