Building disaster preparedness in the outdoor recreation economy
As floods and wildfires grow more damaging, recreation leaders and emergency managers must team up to protect visitors, economies, and the landscapes we love.
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This Seattle summer is an economic bummer for water sports businesses
Contributed · Aug 2025
How rural communities can ensure development projects deliver local benefits
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National public lands are vital to local economies
The growing connection between livelihoods and public lands calls for more investments in public access, preserving ecosystems, and minimizing privatization.
Housing on public lands will be limited by wildfire risk and development challenges
Federal public lands may offer opportunities to improve housing affordability in a limited number of states, but will face significant barriers from wildfire risk, water availability, and conflicts with existing resource or recreation uses.
Three trends showcase the strength of the outdoor recreation economy
Ten years of data show the outdoor recreation economy has grown in nearly all states and is helping drive economic diversification and workforce development.
The economic future of outdoor recreation in New Mexico’s Cibola and McKinley counties
New modeling of trail use in Cibola and McKinley counties, New Mexico has identified more than $1.7 million in visitor contributions to the local economy each year.
Future-proofing the outdoor recreation economy
Many outdoor recreation communities face outsized wildfire and flood risks. They must prioritize updating infrastructure, community planning, and emergency response.
Montana’s outdoor recreation sector contributed $3.4 billion in 2023
An influx of outsiders and money turns Montana Republican, culminating in a Senate triumph