As someone who owns a business that is directly supported by our state’s sportsmen, I can attest to the new data put out by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) that showed the outdoor recreation sector contributes $6.1 billion in consumer spending and directly supports 68,000 jobs in New Mexico.
This type of positive economic impact can’t be overstated.
OIA’s findings should not be a surprise. New Mexico has a unique landscape and a diverse blend of traditions, making it an ideal travel destination for adventure seekers and those hoping to experience our culture and rugged outdoors. Whether it’s hiking the Continental Divide trail or fishing in the Rio Grande Gorge or hunting in the Boot Heel, our state has something for all kinds of outdoors enthusiasts.
This ability to attract people with a wide variety of interests is what makes New Mexico so popular.
That’s why now more than ever – as New Mexico’s economy continues to struggle — it is so important to recognize the jobs benefits of outdoors tourism and continue efforts to protect public lands.
Having abundant protected public lands has proven to increase tourist visitation and spending in our communities.
This is, in part, why a group of New Mexico’s elected officials, previously led by now-retired Sen. Jeff Bingaman, have worked so hard to convince Washington that Rio Grande del Norte near Taos and the Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks region in Dona Ana County need to be protected as National Monuments.
Sen. Udall, Sen. Heinrich and Rep. Lujan have continued to work for public land protection and national monument efforts because they understand that tourism is the backbone of New Mexico’s economy and our future depends on its stability. Protection means a greater flow of revenue and the creation of new jobs.
In fact, a report released by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation shows that in 2011 sportsmen spent $579 million on hunting and fishing alone in New Mexico. These hunters and anglers supported 7,695 jobs in New Mexico—nearly matching the amount of employees at Los Alamos National Laboratories.
And as a taxidermist, I can confirm that the sportsmen’s economy means business and jobs for all sorts of New Mexicans.
Also, public lands designated as monuments typically experience about a 500 percent growth in visitation in the years following their designation, according to a 2012 study by BBC Research & Consulting. Just imagine how many jobs would be created and how tourist spending in local New Mexicans businesses would increase if Rio Grande del Norte or the Organ Mountains become monuments.
Therefore, it’s all the more important for us to take heed of the words of former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt who earlier this month called upon the Obama administration to do a better job of balancing conservation with resource development.
In a widely covered speech, Babbitt described the current conservation deficit that exists under the Obama administration, where oil and gas companies have leased over 6 million acres of land as opposed to the approximately 2.6 million acres that have been federally protected.
Thankfully, most of New Mexico’s leaders in Congress are aggressively supporting the creation of Rio Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains Desert Peaks national monuments not only because these designations will help reduce the conservation deficit, but also because they will create jobs in the tourism, outdoor, and other retail sectors.
New Mexico businesses and jobs depend on a balance between development and conservation, and we're grateful for our U.S. Senators’ efforts to work with the Obama administration to achieve it.
So today, we should all be applauding the OIA study because its findings prove that our most sacred public lands, such as Rio Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains Desert Peaks region, deserve to be protected.
