By: Frederick Reimers

In 2012, OIA reported that its industry—from duck call makers to ski-in-ski-out resort hotels—employed 6.1 million people and injected $646 billion into the U.S. economy. That makes it bigger than auto and pharmaceutical combined.

…It also means helping more people access those deeper natural places. The OIA is working with the Forest Service and legislators to streamline the often arduous process for permitting group wilderness trips. “We know from research that fewer millennials and people of color are getting into the outdoors because they lack mentored experiences,” says Roberts. “We need to make it easier for organizations that leads experiences like that to get the permits they need.”

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