Outdoor Industry Report Echoes Poll Showing Public Lands Protections are Good for Business

A report issued today by the Outdoor Industry Association reveals the far-reaching economic impact the outdoor recreation industry has on our overall financial wellbeing, mirroring the results of Small Business Majority's recent poll that found access to public lands plays an important role in ensuring success for Southwestern small businesses.

The report, The Outdoor Recreation Economy, found that in 2011, Americans overall spent an estimated $646 billion on outdoor recreation, and nearly 40 percent of that money was spent in Western states. That means more cash flowing into the local economies of regions in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, the states we polled entrepreneurs in.

Our survey found nearly half of small business owners agree that when choosing where to live and own a business, access to outdoor opportunities provided by parks and public lands was a large factor. Of all the reasons for someone to start a business, affordable rent, an area well known for talent, it speaks volumes that half of them attribute the reason to public lands. In addition, we found the majority of entrepreneurs find the president's all-of-the-above energy policy most appealing if it ensures protections for public lands.

With so many entrepreneurs flooding Western regions because their natural assets offer business opportunities, the report released today only reinforces why public lands are so important to small business job creation. There were 2.3 million Western jobs and 6.1 million national jobs directly related to outdoor recreation spending in 2011. With all signs pointing to outdoor recreation areas as cash cows for small business and the economy, it's imperative we ensure protection of public lands in every way possible, especially as we develop new energy policies.