More than 200 outdoor recreation businesses and trade associations have urged congressional leaders to pass the bipartisan America the Beautiful Act before lawmakers adjourn for the August recess, arguing the measure would strengthen public lands infrastructure and support the nation’s $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy.
In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the signatories said the legislation represents a significant investment in America’s public lands and waters during the country’s 250th anniversary year.
The coalition includes retailers, manufacturers, outfitters, campground owners, marina operators, sportsmen’s businesses, concessionaires and other outdoor recreation companies from across the United States.
The letter states that outdoor recreation contributes $1.3 trillion annually to the U.S. economy, supports 5.2 million jobs and generates $351 million in economic activity each day from recreation on federal lands and waters, citing data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, there is no more fitting tribute to America’s character and legacy than passing this transformative investment in the public lands and waters that define us,” the letter states.
The coalition emphasized that most businesses in the outdoor recreation sector are small businesses that rely on accessible and well-maintained public lands to operate. “Business certainty and sustained investment in outdoor recreation infrastructure are not luxuries; they are the foundation of thriving rural economies and public health in every corner of the country,” the letter states.
According to the letter, the America the Beautiful Act would reauthorize and strengthen the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund established through the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020. The legislation would also improve transparency, encourage public-private partnerships and modernize visitor infrastructure across public lands and waters while prioritizing recreation projects such as trails, campgrounds, marinas, water-based recreation facilities and access for hunting and fishing.
The business coalition also highlighted bipartisan support for the proposal. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the America the Beautiful Act with unanimous bipartisan support, while a similar House measure, the Great American Outdoors Act 250, has more than 200 bipartisan cosponsors and was unanimously approved by the House Natural Resources Committee.
The letter also cites research indicating that every federal dollar invested in the National Park Service returns $5 to the U.S. economy and that addressing deferred maintenance would support nearly 110,000 infrastructure-related jobs.
“This summer, Americans are gathering at our parks, forests, waterways, and public lands in record numbers, and they deserve infrastructure worthy of the occasion,” the letter states.
“Passing this legislation before Congress adjourns would send an unmistakable signal: that Congress is committed to the landscapes and waterways that have shaped our national story, and that America’s outdoor heritage will be protected and celebrated for the next 250 years,” the letter adds.