My series on the CONSERVATION ECONOMY makes these main points:

1. Conservation pays, conservation pays immediately and conservation pays on multiple levels. Whether you are talking wilderness or windfarms, conservation pays;

2. The conservation economy is a bridging issue. One that can cross boundaries to bring divergent interests together, bring the conservation movement into the mainstream and realize sustainable economic benefit for communities that seek to be conservation-minded.

HUMAN powered outdoor recreation is a significant portion of the Conservation Economy . It’s a $730 BILLION Industry that supports 6.5 million jobs across the nation and generates $88 billion in state and national tax revenue every year.

The Conservation Economy Series:

The Conservation Economy, Part I; demonstrated that Wilderness as an economic generator for Western communities.

The Conservation Economy, Part II; discussed the tourism potential associated with conservation as well as how environmental issues can gain us allies.

The Conservation Economy, Part III; described the why and how of a Restoration Economy.

The Conservation Economy, Part IV; discussed the economic value of natural systems, otherwise known as Ecosystem Services or, Natural Capital.

From Wilderness to Windfarms discussed the economic impacts of a Wilderness proposal in southern New Mexico.

Roadless Areas Generate Big Money discussed the massive economic benefit Roadless lands bring to New Mexico.

Public Lands and Economic Growth shows the numbers behind the significant economic growth National Parks generate for surrounding communities and the West as a whole.

Active Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreation activities that are human powered (as opposed to motorized) generate an astounding $730 BILLION industry that supports 6.5 million jobs across the nation and generates $88 billion in state and national tax revenue every year according to a recently released report by a Florida-based research firm called Southwick Associates. These activities include bicycling, camping, fishing, hunting, paddling, snow sports, trail and wildlife viewing. The report was released last week at the 2006 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City. How much is that?:

In relative terms, the $730 billion the active-outdoor-recreation industry funnels into the U.S. economy annually is astounding, said the study's chief researcher, Rob Southwick.
To better illustrate it, Southwick noted that $730 billion is more than 400 times greater than the amount of money earned by the movie "Titanic," the top grossing movie of all time. The figure is also equivalent to 44 percent of the total money Americans spend annually on food, he said.

[snip]

A loss of the 6.5 million jobs associated with the active outdoor recreation industry would quickly cripple the nation's economy.

"The (U.S.) economy would contract and that would necessitate job layoffs," Southwick said.

Every region of the nation benefits. But the West wins big:

The study's figures were broken down even further into nine separate regions across the United States. Region 8, which includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming, ranked near the top with $61 billion in annual economic contribution from the active-outdoor-recreation industry. The states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington topped the list with $81 billion in annual contribution.

Other findings from the study:

The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy

An economic study released by the Outdoor Industry Foundation last Friday in Salt Lake City underscores the important role the active-outdoor-recreation industry plays in the nation's economy. Figures from the study indicate the industry:

• Generates $289 billion annually just in retail sales and services across the U.S.
• Touches over 8 percent of America's personal consumption expenditures. This equals more than $1 in every $12 circulating in the economy.
• Supports the jobs of one in every 20 Americans.
• More Americans camp than play basketball.
• More Americans paddle (kayak, canoe and raft) than play soccer.
• The number of Americans who participate in bicycling is double the population of Canada.
• More than three-quarters of Americans participate in active outdoor recreation each year.
• The active outdoor recreation economy employs five times more Americans than Wal-Mart, the world's largest private employer.
• Federal tax revenue generated by the active-outdoor-recreation economy ($48.5 billion) would cover the budget of the U.S. Department of Interior ($16.4 billion) for nearly three years.

It is vital to note here that we are talking about NON-MOTORIZED recreation. While motorized recreation is also a portion of the economy, it is a MUCH smaller portion than that of non-motorized recreation and many fewer people are engaged in that form of recreation. Thus, while the Bush Administration, the Forest Service and many state governments seek to make motorized recreation a dominate use on the nation’s public lands, they are best advised to consider the non-motorized recreation economy and the fact that most of us who recreate without motors do not like to be anywhere near the roar and stink of engines. Don’t destroy a good thing.

In summary, our nation’s public lands are a massive economic resource – without trashing them for, say, oil and gas development. The Conservation Economy is worth far more TODAY than is oil and gas development and other destructive activities on our public lands and is a far better use of those lands. And that is NOT just for recreation as my other diaries on this make clear. The Conservation Economy is a sustainable economy that we can pass on to our children and protected public lands are a resource that never stops giving.

Protecting, restoring and maintaining public lands is vital for the economies of local communities, states and the nation as a whole.