Steven discusses the economic benefits of public lands conservation programs and the importance of adequately funding these programs in light of the many financial challenges facing our country.
• Federal spending on natural resources makes up only 1.62 percent of our total budget, but that’s some of the hardest working money we spend.
• Every dollar we put into land acquisition contributes about $2 to the U.S. economy.
• Hunting and fishing generate more than $6.3 billion in annual tax revenues and create more than 900,000 sustainable American jobs.
• Federal investment in public lands (parks, refuges, trails, rivers, recreation areas and national forests) drives a conservation, recreation and historic preservation sector of the economy that supports 9.4 million U.S. jobs. Whether manufacturing, retail or service related, most of these jobs are resource or tourism based and cannot be exported.
• The combination of conservation, outdoor recreation and historic preservation is responsible for more than $1 trillion in economic activity and more than $107 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.
• Congress has an opportunity not only to continue the strong tradition of conservation in our country but also to grow our way back to fiscal health through the economic benefits provided by outdoor sports and recreation.
Season 1: Episode 9
Partners:
American Sportfishing Association
America's Voice for Conservation, Recreation and Preservation
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
National Shooting Sports Foundation
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