One state recently found out that bad policies on public lands can be bad for business.
Sometimes it takes a lifetime for consequences to manifest or karma to catch up. Sometimes it never happens. And sometimes, as in the case of public-lands bashing, it happens in real time.
Consequences recently got people’s attention with the decision to move the prestigious Outdoor Retailer shows to Colorado from Utah after attempts by a vocal minority to dismantle our country’s public-lands heritage. While a small minority of state and federal lawmakers across the West have proposed bills to sell or give states control of national public lands, there’s no denying Utah has been ground zero for the attacks.
Now, Utah has lost the premier showcase for outdoor and adventure retailers because the outdoor recreation industry understandably sees hostility toward public lands as bad business.
Concern about Utah’s position has been building since 2012 when legislators passed a bill demanding that federally managed public lands be turned over to the state. When that didn’t happen, legislators drafted a lawsuit in pursuit of its unconstitutional quest to take over 30 million acres that belong to all Americans. They then backed off in hopes the Trump administration would be more amenable to ceding control of public lands. More recently, Utah leaders have railed against Bears Ears and other national monuments as roadblocks to such economic activities as mining and drilling.
So far, the Trump administration appears sympathetic. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has recommended scaling back the Bears Ears National Monument as part of a review of monuments.
However, Utah’s strident stances, at odds with a majority of Westerners, are having consequences. A resolution by Utah legislators and signed by Gov. Gary Herbert asking the Trump administration to rescind Bears Ears was the final straw for public lands supporters with powerful economic clout. When it announced it was leaving Utah after 20 years, the Outdoor Retailer cited the Bears Ears resolution and politicians’ “different perspective on the protection of public lands from that of our members and the majority of Western state voters, both Republicans and Democrats.”
Such outdoor industry powerhouses as Patagonia have made it clear they can’t abide showcasing their goods and services in a state where many of the political leaders have devalued our public-lands heritage.
Tale of Two States
Starting in 2018, the Outdoor Retailer shows, expected to draw up to 85,000 people a year and pump a total of $110 million into the economy, will be held in Denver. After vying with several other cities, Denver landed a five-year run. It’s likely no coincidence the expos’ new home is the first state to declare an annual holiday recognizing public lands. Colorado celebrated its first Public Lands Day in May of this year. And a handful of bills proposed to undermine public lands haven’t gained traction in the Colorado General Assembly.
Colorado leaders understand that public lands, wildlife and outdoor recreation are integral to the state’s prosperity and quality of life.
The Outdoor Industry Association says outdoor recreation generates $28 billion in consumer spending annually in Colorado and supports 229,000 jobs. The state established an outdoor recreation industry office in 2015.
Of course, Utah is no slouch when it comes to outdoor recreation and stunning public lands. After all, it is home to “The Mighty 5:” Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion national parks. The Utah Office of Tourism has trademarked the brand. Moab is a mecca for mountain bikers and all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts. The latest figures available show people spend at least $12 billion on outdoor recreation in Utah each year and the industry there employs 122,000.
But there seems to be a disconnect between the on-the-ground reality of economics and the ideology driving politics in Utah. There’s a disconnect between Utah’s politicians and their constituents. An analysis by the Center for Western Priorities of public comments on national monuments shows an overwhelming majority of Utahans who weighed in support keeping Bears Ears as a national monument.
Public Lands Provide Common Ground
Energy development on public lands is big business in both Utah and Colorado. However, most Westerners believe we can have responsible development without sacrificing the forest lands, desert backcountry, pristine waters and thriving fish and wildlife populations that drive the outdoor recreation and tourism economies. This year, Colorado College’s bipartisan conservation poll said only 9 percent of Western voters favored more expansive drilling on public lands while 85 percent believe environmentally sensitive places should either be strictly protected or balanced with oil and gas drilling.
Indeed, the National Wildlife Federation and other sportsmen’s and conservation organizations with supporters and members from across the political spectrum know that conserving our public-land heritage is fertile common ground for bipartisan cooperation. It motivates us to fight to ensure we have clean air and water, wildlife and our special landscapes for generations to come.
Writing in the Denver Business Journal about the outdoor shows moving to Denver, Amy Roberts, executive director of the Outdoor Industry Association wrote: “We believe that outdoor recreation and the protection of public lands do not need to be politically polarizing issues.”
In Colorado and across the country, they’re not. And it’s clear that protecting our public lands is not just good karma – it’s good business.