Outdoor recreation on public lands is a Nevada economic powerhouse

Outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse, bringing in jobs and money. In Nevada alone, outdoor recreation generates $13.7 billion in economic output and provides 75,000 jobs. These jobs include outdoor outfitters, guides, restaurants, hotels, retail, and even businesses like local grocery stores. And 40% of these economic benefits accrue to rural counties. Additionally, state and local revenue comes in through hotel, sales, gas, and rental car taxes.

Outdoor recreation on public lands is more profitable than other land uses. In Nevada, outdoor recreation contributes more money to the state’s GDP than mining. Nationwide, more jobs are provided by recreation on U.S. Forest Service lands than all the jobs provided by forest products, livestock grazing, mineral extraction, and energy production on those lands combined.

And the incredible thing about income that comes from recreation is that it’s almost inexhaustible. While mining or logging can bring income and jobs for a period of time, eventually the resources are used up, along with the money that comes with it. Recreation dollars keep coming indefinitely, especially when lands are well-maintained.

Public lands are vital to outdoor recreation. Throughout the United States, one in five jobs in outdoor recreation depend on federal public land. And rural counties with the highest percentage of federal land show increased population growth, employment growth, and personal income growth. 

And while jobs and economic growth are extremely important, protected public lands provide more benefits than just the money. Locals enjoy year-round outdoor recreation even more than do tourists, whether it be fishing, hiking, boating, or camping. Generations of local families pass on their love of the outdoors to their children and grandchildren. Locals also get the benefit of pure water, clean air, dark skies, and biodiversity that comes from protected lands. What is lost when these lands are sold off to the highest bidder is far more than the purchase price.

Federal funding to local governments is supposed to be another benefit of public lands, although recently it has been inconsistent. Nevada usually receives Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding from the federal government. PILT and SRS funds compensate local governments for non-taxable federal lands. With federal funding cuts widespread, the future of PILT and SRS payments is uncertain. In 2026, Nevada did secure $35.6 million in PILT funds and $4 million in SRS funds for local counties, and Nevada lawmakers have vowed to continue to fight for Nevada’s compensation.

With or without federal funding, Nevada’s public lands are worth protecting. Nevada’s public lands bring wealth to her communities: in revenue, in business opportunities, in jobs, in state and local tax revenue, in fishing, hunting, boating, camping, and hiking, in starry nights and pure water and fresh air. Selling off Nevada’s lands to corporations for a quick buck is like cutting down your house to use as firewood. The warmth of the money will come and then the warmth of the money will go, while our public lands are a resource that will continue to give without end so long as we keep them protected.