Our post today comes from our affiliates over at Trout Headwaters.

Natural resources are often described as “priceless,” but defining the real economic value of clean air, clean water, and open spaces may be the only way to save our environment.  One very real economic value of natural resources is jobs–and lots of them.

The Outdoor Industry Association’s recent report, “The Outdoor Recreation Economy,” captures the true economic benefits of the outdoor recreation industry.  These include:

• 6.1 million American jobs
• $646 billion in outdoor recreation spending each year
• $39.9 billion in federal tax revenue
• $39.7 billion in state/local tax revenue

In his blog posts titled Economics for Flyfisherman, Mark McGlothlin points out “3 Things Our Outdoor Loving Brethren (and Sistren) Should Understand Well…“

How has outdoor recreation contributed to your own local economy?