Weave your way through the crowd at ICAST and then try to tell us that recreational anglers don’t represent some serious spending power.
It’s still common in Washington, D.C., to hear lawmakers dismiss the power of the outdoor recreation economy. You and I know that $646-billion figure by h
eart, and repeat it often, but more stubborn than facts is the belief that the extractive industries create well-paying jobs, while hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, mountain biking, and the hundreds of other activities that Americans pursue in the great outdoors supposedly prop up just a few fast food and convenience store chains.
The extractive industries do create good jobs, and we at TRCP believe, like Theodore Roosevelt himself, that “conservation means development as much as it does protection.” The keys are balance, science, and planning. But there are flat-landers who still can’t grasp that the outdoor economy employs over six million Americans—that’s right, more than the oil and gas and real estate industries combined.
Image courtesy of TRCP.
I challenge them to come to ICAST. This is the world’s largest sportfishing trade show. Put on by our friends at the American Sportfishing Association, this year’s show features 600 exhibitors on 650,000 square feet of floor space showing off some of the most innovative American companies in any industry.
Didn’t know you needed a Yeti Rambler Lowball? Poor soul. How else can you enjoy your bourbon on the river this summer? And when you buy it, you can take comfort in knowing you are supporting a great Austin company that manufactures its Tundra coolers in Iowa and Wisconsin.
Always wanted to try fly fishing? Simms is here showcasing their newest gear, from waders to sandals to shirts. Simms manufactures all of its waders in Bozeman, Montana, where they just expanded their manufacturing and shipping center by 14,000 square feet and will add 27 new jobs this year.
Image courtesy of TRCP.
Fishing, hunting, and getting the next generation of Americans outdoors is big business. Even while the broader economy tanked during the great recession, the outdoor industry grew by 5 percent annually. Because who can walk out of their local Bass Pro Shops (a company that employs 20,000 people nationally, by the way) without a little something?
At ICAST this week, we’ll get the chance to meet the entrepreneurs responsible for creating great products that make it more fun to go fishing. But they are also creating thousands of jobs in communities across the country.
This is what I hope we can make our lawmakers understand.
By Paul Wilkins