Washington’s natural splendor plays a major role in its economy, generating an annual $7.6 billion in wages and salaries and $2.3 billion in state and local tax revenue through outdoor recreation, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Those numbers are up from a previous study released by the association in 2012.
Statewide, boating, biking, bird-watching, camping, hunting, hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities create an estimated $26.2 billion in annual economic impact, according to the OIA.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the numbers Monday at Twin Harbors State Park in Westport during a meeting of outdoor recreation leaders from Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. The full OIA report is scheduled to be released later this week.
Inslee is on a two-day tour of coastal communities that includes boating to Westport, touring shellfish beds in South Bend and Raymond, meeting with leaders in the coastal fishing community, visiting the Discovery Trail in Long Beach and stopping at two state parks.
“These numbers show that when we invest in public land the payoff comes not only in the form of a better environment and quality of life, but in great jobs,” Inslee said. “Love of the outdoors is something that unites the state of Washington.”
Read the rest of the story on the governor’s Medium page.