ORR Joins Outdoor Trade Associations Urging Passage Of Great American Outdoors Act

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) released a letter signed by 29 national outdoor recreation trade associations, supporting more than 100,000 businesses, urging Congress to pass the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). This legislation would fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the nation’s public lands maintenance backlog in order to support rural communities and rescue the outdoor recreation industry, made up of 90 percent small businesses, during this unprecedented downturn.

With supply chains stalled, retailers shuttered, parks closed, and trips and travel canceled, the $778 billion outdoor industry is uniquely impacted by COVID-19 mitigation efforts. An industry survey last week found that 79 percent of outdoor businesses have had to lay off or furlough employees, and that 89 percent are seeing decreased revenue. Traditionally representing 2.2% of the GDP, 5.2 million jobs and growing faster than the economy as a whole in every indicator, the industry is rallying together to urge Congress to pass GAOA and make smart fixes to the CARES Act to support this sector, which is key to national economic recovery.

GAOA will fully fund LWCF, providing $900 million per year in investment in the public lands, parks and trails that are the backbone of the outdoor recreation economy. It would also address the growing maintenance backlog on our public lands and waters. The bill will help to bolster recreation dependent communities and their businesses.