Rhetoric Over Public Lands Heating Up in Washington, D.C.

Jason Belvins reports on an emerging political voice in the debate over public lands:

With the news that the outdoor economy — defined by bike, snow, trail and water sports as well as camping, fishing, hunting, motorcycling, off-roading and wildlife viewing — supports more than 7.6 million jobs and pays $124.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes, the outdoor industry right now is circling its wagons in Washington D.C., hoping to champion the role of outdoor play in not just the health of Americans but the country’s economy.

The article follows on an earlier article written by Blevins detailing the emergence of the outdoor recreation industry as an economic force to be reckoned with in the debate over the protection of public lands. The new report by the Boulder-based Outdoor Industry Association reaffirms the industry's size and scope.

The report also comes during a week when President Donald Trump is expected to "order a review of all national monument designations over the last two decades, asking the Interior Department to examine whether the scope of the monument designations follows the intent of the Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to create such protections," as Blevins explains. Juliet Eilperin broke the news on the expected order for The Washington Post.