Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) voiced concern Friday over a House budget proposal it said “would have devastating impacts on the nations public lands and the economic benefits they generate.”


The proposed budget would result in reduced funding for the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, directly impacting land management and access opportunities that generate $646 billion annually in direct economic activity in the United States.

House appropriators submitted a funding proposal to Congress that would cut funding to the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee to 14 percent below current levels, 18 percent below what Congress allocated before sequestration, and 20 percent below President Obamas budget request. If enacted, such cuts would mean more park closures, greater threats to clean rivers and streams, fewer youth and educational programs, and reduced wildfire protection.


This is the wrong place to cut the budget, said Kirk Bailey, vice president of government affairs for OIA. The nations recreation lands are beacons of economic opportunity and directly generate economic activity that is good for communities and this country. This proposal is short-sighted and will create more challenges than it will solve.


OIA-funded research shows that more than 140 million Americans participate in outdoor recreation each year, generating $646 billion in direct spending, supporting 6.1 million American jobs. This activity produces $80 billion in annual federal and state tax revenue, a number far greater than the proposed budget cuts.


OIA urges outdoor industry representatives to contact their members of Congress in the coming wees as drafts the federal budget bills to express their concern over this proposal.