How does outdoor recreation impact the economy?

Saw this link today: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/advocacy/recreation/economy.html

Contained therein is the breakdown by all 50 states. I'll quote a few:

Nationally:
$646 BILLION in consumer spending
6.1 MILLION direct American jobs
$39.9 BILLION in federal tax revenue
$39.7 BILLION in state and local tax revenue

In New Hampshire OUTDOOR RECREATION GENERATES…
$4.2 BILLION in consumer spending
49K direct New Hampshire jobs
$1.2 BILLION in wages and salaries
$293 MILLION in state and local tax revenue

In New York OUTDOOR RECREATION GENERATES…
$33.8 BILLION in consumer spending
305K direct New York jobs
$12.4 BILLION in wages and salaries
$2.8 BILLION in state and local tax revenue

NOTE: This is very interesting in light of the every-popular SAR funding debate, but I would prefer this thread not descend into that. Feel free, however, to use this data and continue discussion in the recent thread on this topic..

Tim

That's pretty cool! I wish I'd had that link to point to during an argument I had with someone last summer on the trail about the value of outdoor recreation...

Also, I shouldn't be surprised that Maine's numbers are higher than New Hampshire's, but I still am. That's pretty cool.

It would be nice to see a comparison to an appropriate/opposite industry.

For those who oppose outdoor recreation development what would be their alternative use of the resources? Logging? Fracking? not sure ... just throwing ideas onto the web canvas

It's very interesting and publicly I'll support the numbers but between us, they seem stretched; they count the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for $800million and Central Park for $400million plus about 4,000 jobs.