TWS Report Shows Economic Benefit of Lands Too Special to Drill

Jul 24, 2013

Issue: Land Protection, Oil & Gas

Subject: National Monuments, National Parks, Wildlife Refuges

By Center for Western Priorities

The Wilderness Society (TWS) released a new report, Tuesday, detailing the risks to western economies as Congress and the Administration continue to prioritize leasing our public lands over protecting them. In the report, Too Wild to Drill, TWS examines 12 areas—nine of which are in the Rocky Mountain West—at risk of oil and gas drilling, but where it does not belong. These are places with extraordinary natural beauty and cultural significance that create millions of dollars in revenue for local economies and jobs for westerners living nearby.

Unlike oil and gas drilling, parks, forests and other protected lands are sustainable economic drivers. Westerners living near these places don’t have to worry as much about the boom and bust cycles of the past, when communities would have to scramble after the oil and gas wells ran dry.

The new report lays out the economic reasons, alongside the cultural, ecological and aesthetic reasons, for the government to adopt an equal ground approach to land use. The landscapes, waterways and clean air that support a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation industry, and attract high quality employees into the west must be given the same consideration as the oil and natural gas companies wanting to drill.

Park	State	Economic Benefits
Arches National Park	Utah	More than one million people visit the park each year. Directs more than $100 million into the region’s economy, annually.
Chaco Canyon	New Mexico	Visitors spend almost $1 million in the region, annually. Creates a dozen jobs within the park and 40 more outside its boundaries.
Desolation Canyon	Utah	Outdoor recreation contributes $12 billion to the state economy every year. Supports more than 122,000 jobs.
Greater Dinosaur Region	Colorado	Visitors spend more than $6.7 million, annually, supporting numerous local, sustainable jobs.
Otero Mesa	New Mexico	Outdoor recreation generates more than $6.1 billion in consumer spending 68,000 direct New Mexican Jobs $1.7 billion in wages and salaries $458 million in state and local tax revenue
The Red Desert	Wyoming	Provides unique outdoor recreation, big game hunting, hiking and horseback riding opportunities Draws tourists and outdoor enthusiasts
Thompson Divide	Colorado	Generates more than $12 million for local economies More than 26,000 people in the region are employed by travel and tourism industries
Wyoming Range	Wyoming	Hunting and fishing here contributes $5.2 million, annually, to local economies
North Fork of Flathead River	Montana	About 2 million people visit the region each year, injecting $100 million into the local economy Supporting 1,400 jobs

Counties with protected lands do better than counties without. The research group Headwaters Economics has found that, on average, the per capita income in rural western counties is $436 higher for every 10,000 acres of protected public lands within the county’s boundaries. The numbers tell the tale, western economies rely on protected lands as sustainable economic drivers. The ball’s in Washington DC’s court.

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TWS Report Shows Economic Benefit of Lands Too Special to Drill

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