Public land managers report economic impact

The U.S. Department of Interior says its various programs resulted in $315 billion in economic output and supported 1.8 million jobs during the past fiscal year.

According to its new report, Interior managed lands and waters produced 923 million barrels of crude oil, 4.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 322 million tons of coal in Fiscal Year 2018.

National Parks, Refuges, and Monuments, along with other public lands, hosted 486 million recreational visits, supporting an estimated $58 billion in economic output and an estimated 452,000 jobs, nationwide.

In Wyoming those lands contributed $14.71 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, $21 billion in economic output and 88,000 jobs.

The Trump Administration claims regulatory reform resulted in a savings of roughly $2.5 billion in net present value nationwide.

KIFI 2019