The economics of protecting wilderness
Photo: Hikers with gear. Photo by Jeff L. Fox.
Peter Metcalf, CEO of the outdoor gear vendor Black Diamond Equipment, wrote an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune explaining the connection between public lands and economic opportunity. Metcalf provides evidence that far from preventing job growth, protecting wilderness actually helps spur and sustain it.
Metcalf cites research showing that the outdoor recreation industry is responsible for over $730 billion in annual economic impact in the U.S. — and 6.5 million jobs! Many of those jobs, which range from renting kayaks to restoring public lands, are major economic drivers in rural communities.
In addition to creating job and business opportunities, wilderness areas also push nearby home values up — as much as 19% in some regions. It also helps protect other investments and resources, such as clean drinking water and erosion protection.
Photo: Hikers with gear. Photo by Jeff L. Fox
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About Emily Diamond-Falk
Emily is the Communications Manager for our Wildland Designation team, based in Washington, D.C.
Before joining The Wilderness Society in March 2010, she served as Media Relations Manager at the Save Darfur Coalition. Prior to that, she... More about Emily Diamond-Falk
Legacy Comments
Mountain Bikes
Many mountain bikers whine about not having access to wilderness areas. As a hiker, I enjoy wilderness, in part because there are no bikes. I tire of bikers zipping past me at break neck speeds, having a rubber tire inches from by behind, seeing trails severly eroded from skid tracks left by breaking bikes and trails braided from multiple bike tracks.
Biders cause far more trail damage than hikers or horses, and with the lack of trail maintenance, deterioration is extensive. Bikers have plenty of non wilderness areas to ride, including thousands of miles of old logging and mining roads and jeep trails! Some places MUST be free from those mechanical nightmeres.