It’s been a big month for Recreation Economy news and momentum. Here’s a re-cap of some of the noteworthy stories. 

OIA’s Outdoor Recreation Economy Report
The outdoor recreation industry is a powerful force in the overall U.S. economy, with consumers spending $887 billion annually on outdoor recreation and creating 7.6 million American jobs.

Close To Home: An Axis of Awesome
In a political climate fraught with bickering, battles and gridlock, it’s refreshing to see outdoor industry stakeholders working together. Three of the biggest are The Conservation Alliance, Outdoor Alliance and the Outdoor Industry Association, who have recently committed to working together to achieve shared goals.

Tourism to North Cascades National Park Service Complex Creates $53,918,700 in Economic Benefits
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 979,578 visitors to North Cascades National Park Service Complex in 2016 spent $44,208,300 in communities near the park. That spending supported 544 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $53,918,700.

National Monuments Benefit the Outdoor Recreation Economy
President Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review all national monument designations larger than 100,000 acres from the past 21 years to determine whether their boundaries are consistent with the intent of the Antiquities Act. The Conservation Alliance opposes any effort to change the boundaries of existing national monuments through executive action.

April Claxton

April is a co-founder and former co-Executive Director for Recreation Northwest. She has a passion for place and loves exploring, experiencing and sharing the beauty of the pacific northwest.  She is currently working with Ocean Conservancy to protect our oceans, specifically the Arctic.