With $646 Billion In Annual Spending, The Outdoor Recreation Industry Has Caught The Eye Of The Hill

Private groups estimate that the outdoor recreation industry generates $646 billion in consumer spending each year and supports 6.1 million jobs—more than pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles and parts combined (see chart below). Yet, policy makers have been left in the dark as to the sector’s influence on the national economy because the federal government has never measured the recreational industry’s economic impact. H.R. 4665 seeks to better inform both policy makers and the industry by requiring tracking of the growing economic impacts of outdoor recreation on the national GDP.

Last week, H.R. 4665, entitled Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act (the “Outdoor REC Act”), moved closer to law after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill sponsored by Representative Donald Breyer (D-VA) and Representative Dave Reichert (R-WA), and authored by Representative Peter Welch (D-VT). A true bipartisan bill, the legislation passed the House by voice vote under fast-track consideration.

The vote needed no debate. During the hearing before the House vote all representatives spoke highly in favor of the Outdoor REC Act. For example, Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX) recognized that outdoor recreation is enjoyed by consumers of “all ages, all ethnicities, and all income levels” and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) argued the bill would be helpful to “getting Americans outside to enjoy our nation’s natural wonders and promotes an appreciation for the natural environment.”

The measure calls for the Secretary of Commerce to “conduct an assessment and analysis of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States” and work with the Bureau of Economic Analysis to consider “employment, sales, and contributions to travel and tourism, and such other contributing components of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States as the Secretary considers appropriate.” In conducting the assessment the Secretary of Commerce will consult with various agency heads including the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Bureau of the Census, and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Representatives of business, including small business concerns, will also participate in consultation.

The March 2016 introduction of the Outdoor REC Act and its companion bill in the Senate (S.2219), sponsored by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), led to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell’s April 2016 announcement that the Federal Recreation Council will work with the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis to assess the economic impact of the outdoor recreation industry.

To communities throughout the country, and particularly the West, the House’s approval of the Outdoor REC Act symbolizes a step forward toward ensuring that outdoor recreation jobs are counted by the federal government and measured as part of the overall GDP. To put it plainly, the outdoor recreation industry wants to make sure that Washington, D.C. lawmakers give this industry appropriate credit for its economic impact

Over 60 organizations and businesses support the Outdoor REC Act, including the powerhouse Outdoor Industry Association and the U.S. Travel Association. The full Senate must now pass the bill and send it to President Obama for his signature. If it becomes law, for the first time in history the federal government will be measuring the impacts of job creation and consumer spending tied to outdoor recreation activities from fishing and rafting to skiing and ice climbing (and more!).

Outdoor recreation had a big week on the Hill and the Outdoor REC Act was not the only success. Another bill, the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (H.R. 845), passed the Senate by unanimous consent on November 16th and now awaits President Obama’s signature. H.R. 845 calls for a national strategy on increasing the involvement of volunteers and nongovernmental organizations in trail maintenance. The Forest Service maintains about 25 percent of the 158,000 miles of agency-owned trails that offer hiking, horseback riding and other activities.

Groups like Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado (“VOC”) have already recognized that the great outdoors faces many challenges, including federal and state land manager budget cuts, and increasing recreational demands and impacts. To address these challenges, the VOC works with land management agencies to provide a workforce of thousands of volunteers annually for outdoor stewardship projects. H.R. 845 aims to augment the capabilities of federal employees to carry out trail maintenance by addressing the barriers to volunteerism and partnerships and to increase trail maintenance by volunteers and partners by 100% within 5 years.

Chief sponsors of the identical National Forest System Trails Stewardship legislation in the House and Senate were Reps. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.) and Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).