Opinion: State investment in outdoor recreation helps Alaska’s economy

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The Alaska Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of the state’s key stakeholders with a vested interest in the vitality of Alaska’s outdoor recreation economy. The AOA also has a statewide coalition for active transportation. For the sixth consecutive year, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released national and state-level data showing that Alaska’s outdoor recreation economic sector continues to demonstrate its strength as a contributor to the overall state and national economy. Masu.

In 2022, outdoor recreation in Alaska generated $2.6 billion in economic output, supported more than 20,000 jobs, and accounted for 4% of the state’s economy. These statistics are supported by Alaska’s famous opportunities for recreational boating and fishing, RVing, hiking and camping, hunting, ATVing, biking, recreational flying, snowmachine and other winter sports. From 2021 to 2022, Alaska’s outdoor recreation economy grew the second fastest in the nation (after Hawaii), outpacing the state and national economy. Growth in what BEA classifies as sector support activities was led by travel and tourism, reflecting growth in spending on transportation, hotels, and restaurants.

Access to Alaska’s world-famous outdoors helps recruit and retain young workers and their families, improves the quality of life in urban and rural areas, and sustainably moves Alaska’s economy forward. Masu. Over the past decade, voters in communities around the state have repeatedly supported investments in outdoor infrastructure that allows residents and visitors to experience Alaska from the ocean to the peaks. This investment provides significant returns that confirm that access to the outdoors is not just a nice-to-have, but an essential necessity for the physical, mental, and economic well-being of our residents and our state.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal includes needed investments in state parks, trails, hunting and fishing, as well as services to the public by partnering with local governments to enhance winter maintenance of nearby parks. Suggestions for improving are scattered throughout. Home sidewalks and off-street paths to everyday destinations. All of these assets contribute to Alaska’s year-round outdoor recreation economy and provide an economic multiplier. The governor’s proposed budget will help leverage federal aid and existing state resources, which collectively are proven strategies for rural prosperity, urban prosperity, workforce development, and ecosystem health. becomes.

lee hart I am the director of the Alaska Outdoor Alliance. steve cleary I am the executive director of Alaska Trails. Michelle Stevens I am the president of the Alaska Snowmachine Alliance.

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