Wilderness Act at 50: the economics of open space

Outdoor recreation contributes $646bn to the US economy and directly supports 6.1m jobs. On the Wilderness Act’s 50th birthday, we take a look at conservation’s economic contribution.

Unlike fossil fuel and minerals extraction, in which the economic benefits disappear after the oil or gas is gone from a community, “we’re not a boom-and-bust industry,” says Frank Hugelmeyer, CEO of the association. “As long as you protect that land, those economic dividends continue to pay forward long after that investment.”