…The opportunity to slip off into the quietude of public lands, whether to race a mountain bike on winding trails or hike into the backcountry and find temporary solace, is a particularly Western phenomenon. In the West, 46 percent of all land is public, compared to just 15 percent in the rest of the country. And while protected public lands offer space for silence and play, they also help drive economic growth in the West, according to a new report from Headwater Economics, unashamedly titled “West is Best.”
The report highlights that for the past 40 years Western states have been outstripping other states in terms of employment, personal income and population growth, and that protected public lands, including national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas, help boost job opportunities and how much people earn. And this is particularly true of non-metropolitan counties, not just the big cities. At the same time, the appeal of the outdoor lifestyle Westerners enjoy is attracting entrepreneurs and talented professionals in service industries, including healthcare workers, architects and engineers…