The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) issued a statement saying it the outdoor industry business community are “very concerned about and closely watching” President Trump’s Executive Order calling for a review of national monument designations under the Antiquities Act.
According to a briefing by Secretary Zinke on April 25, President Trump’s Executive Order requests the following:
- A review of approximately 30 national monuments designated from January 1, 1996 through the end of 2016 that are over 100,000 acres in size.
- An interim report that will be concluded within 45 days and a final report within 120 days of the order.
- Specifically, the review will begin with Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument designated in 1996 and end with Bears Ears National Monument designated in late 2016.
According to the briefing, Wednesday’s Executive Order will not do the following:
- Strip any monument of a designation
- Loosen any environmental regulation on land or marine areas
- Strip any national monuments of any protections
The outdoor recreation economy generates over $887 billion in consumer spending and supports 7.6 million American jobs. According to OIA’s statement, the outdoor industry believes public lands are special places attracting millions of people and generating billions of dollars in economic activity. Every year, Americans and international visitors account for more than 330 million visits to fish, camp, hike and otherwise recreate in our national parks, monuments, historical sites and other public lands. The U.S. Department of the Interior just last week reported that visits to its national parks added $35 billion to the U.S. economy.
“We are concerned about the narrative that the designation of national monuments has led to a loss of jobs and wages in surrounding communities,” said Amy Roberts, executive director of Outdoor Industry Association. “We believe the facts demonstrate the opposite story. Monuments, many of which have become national parks, have created economic prosperity and jobs in local communities for decades. The vast majority of Americans value their national parks and monuments and want these lands protected. Negatively impacting national monuments will be extremely unpopular with the American people and will take away economic opportunity from communities that need it the most.”
OIA’s statement continued, “America’s public lands are a seminal thread that set the fabric of our nation apart from the rest of the world. While our national parks like Yosemite, Glacier, Yellowstone and others are the crown jewels of our public lands system, we cannot underestimate the historical role monuments, wildlife refuges and other public lands have played in creating national parks like Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, Arches in Utah and the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
“We will continue to educate our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. and those across the country, about the benefits of the outdoor recreation economy and its symbiotic relationship with public lands. Our hope is that no one seeks to rollback or dilute over 100 years of history and protection for our nation’s public lands through the Antiquities Act. As The Outdoor Recreation Economy report shows, when we work together, America can thrive outside.
“As OIA receives additional information about this Executive Order and Secretary Zinke’s review process, we will keep our members advised on how to provide public input.”
