Redrock cliffs, sandstone arches, desert vistas and ancient archaeological remains are more permanent than the fossil fuels under them. They will exist for ages, unless humans are allowed to destroy them. That’s the kind of permanent resource to put your money on, as the folks in Grand County have discovered.
A recent study by Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit group, shows that outdoor recreation on the county’s spectacular public lands has become the area’s economic engine, producing jobs and replacing the county’s disappearing mines and ranches. And the jobs, like the scenery, aren’t subject to the booms and busts that afflict extractive industries…