Businesses spanning the entire $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy say there is “no better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday” than investing in its public lands and waters
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today over 200 outdoor recreation businesses and business trade associations representing America’s $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging swift passage of the America the Beautiful Act before Congress adjourns for the August recess.
The signatories (see full list here)—representing retailers large and small, manufacturers, outfitters and guides, campground owners, outdoor lifestyle brands, marina operators, sportsmen’s businesses, concessionaires, and other outdoor recreation businesses from across the country—called the bipartisan legislation one of the most important investments Congress can make in America’s public lands and waters, outdoor recreation economy, and rural communities during the nation’s 250th anniversary year.
“As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, there is no more fitting tribute to America’s character and legacy than passing this transformative investment in the public lands and waters that define us,” the letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reads.
The letter highlights the growing importance of the outdoor recreation economy, noting that outdoor recreation contributes $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy and supports 5.2 million American jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, and generates $351 million in economic activity every day from recreation on federal lands and waters.
“Most of the outdoor recreation sector is made up of small businesses—businesses that depend directly on well-maintained, accessible public lands and waters to survive and grow,” the letter states. “Business certainty and sustained investment in outdoor recreation infrastructure are not luxuries; they are the foundation of thriving rural economies and public health in every corner of the country.”
The letter also points to the strong bipartisan momentum behind the legislation. The America the Beautiful Act, which passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with unanimous bipartisan support, reauthorizes and strengthens the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), originally established through the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020. A similar bipartisan bill, Great American Outdoors Act 250, was introduced in the House and has more than 200 bipartisan cosponsors and passed the House Natural Resources Committee with unanimous support.
The legislation would reauthorize and strengthen the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund originally established by the Great American Outdoors Act, while improving transparency, encouraging public-private partnerships, and modernizing visitor infrastructure across America’s public lands and waters. Importantly, it would also prioritize recreation projects like trails, campgrounds, marinas, and water-based recreation as well as access for hunting and fishing.
The letter emphasizes the broad economic returns of investing in public lands, citing research showing that every federal dollar invested in the National Park Service returns five dollars to the U.S. economy while addressing deferred maintenance would support nearly 110,000 infrastructure-related jobs. The letter concludes with an urgent call for Congressional action.
“This summer, Americans are gathering at our parks, forests, waterways, and public lands in record numbers, and they deserve infrastructure worthy of the occasion,” the letter states. “Passing this legislation before Congress adjourns would send an unmistakable signal: that Congress is committed to the landscapes and waterways that have shaped our national story, and that America’s outdoor heritage will be protected and celebrated for the next 250 years.”
The full text of the letter and list of signatories is available here.