Monday, March 05, 2012

National Parks Pump $31 Billion Into Local Economies

If you've ever visited Yosemite in the summer, you have an idea of just how popular America's national parks are. And according to a new National Parks Service report, our love for the great outdoors generated more than $31 billion for local economies and supported more than 258,000 jobs in 2010. The Parks Service's report, Economic Benefits to Local Communities from National Park Visitation and Payroll, 2010, shows that the $31 billion and 258,000 jobs generated by the National Parks system alone in 2010 represented increases of $689 million and 11,500 jobs over 2009. According to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, recreation in national parks, refuges, and other public lands combined led to nearly $55 billion in local economic benefits and 440,000 jobs in 2009. Hoping to further increase the economic contribution of the nation's parks and public lands, President Obama in January issued an executive order intended to promote travel and tourism in the United States and has made promotion of the national parks system a key element of his administration's Great Outdoor Initiative...more

Don'tcha just love propaganda?

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