News

From high peaks to vast deserts and stunning coastlines, the West is home to some of the country’s most beautiful and accessible outdoor recreation destinations. Now, thanks to a handful of recent reports, we can better quantify the massive economic impact of outdoor recreation on the local economy. 

According to a report on public lands from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, outdoor recreation on the country’s public lands and waters generates $351 million for the economy every single day, and as much as $14.6 million every hour.  

In total (including contributions that don't occur on public lands), the outdoor recreation economy contributes more than $1.2 trillion annually.  

The report also noted that outdoor recreation supports 5 million jobs annually, which represents more than 3% of the U.S. job market.  

Earlier this year, another report from the Outdoor Industry Association found that an all-time high of 180 million Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2024. The latest report showed a 3% increase in participation over the previous record year in 2023, and it showed that a majority (58%) of Americans spend time recreating outside – with seniors, young adults, and people of color driving much of the growth.  

When it comes to economic development through outdoor recreation, western states lead the nation. Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming lean on outdoor recreation to generate revenue at higher rates than any other state in the country. Those four states drive at least 4% of their GDP with outdoor recreation, compared to 2.3% nationally.  

Western Governors recognize the importance of outdoor recreation for their states, especially given the wealth of awe-inspiring landscapes and opportunities that our region provides.  

WGA Policy Resolution 2025-09, which the Governors approved at WGA's Annual Meeting in Santa Fe last summer, supports public access to sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities while ensuring the protection of ecological, economic, and cultural resources. It also calls on the federal government to provide adequate resources to handle increased visitation and enhance visitor experience at the West’s world-class destinations. 

Using their bipartisan policy resolution as a foundation, the Governors advocated on behalf of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which became law early this year. The Governors will continue to work together to move forward other outdoor recreation priorities that benefit the West. 

If you’re feeling inspired to get outside, take advantage of National Hiking Day on Monday, November 17! 

Govs talk energy: on Wednesday, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Utah Governor Spencer Cox sat down for a discussion on unleashing American energy at the Wyoming Business Alliance’s Governors’ Business Forum in Laramie, Wyoming.  

The Governors discussed energy production and demand increases from data centers and other technologies. They also held up the tri-state energy MOU between Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho as a model and praised WGA’s cooperation as a template for bipartisan progress.  

“Coal, oil, gas, wind, solar,” Governor Gordon said. “The question is, how do we put this together in a way that makes sense, that safeguards those things that we care about, like vistas, horizons, wildlife?” 

Statewide tour: in Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly wrapped up her statewide listening tour on Wednesday night in Wichita. The Governor has been crisscrossing the state to hear directly from Kansans to help gather priorities for the state’s budget ahead of the 2026 legislative session.  

In addition to holding town-hall-style meetings with residents, Governor Kelly has simultaneously hosted community food drives in conjunction with each event.  

“From fully funding our public schools to investing in health care in our rural communities, I appreciated hearing from those who attended as I work to build another balanced budget proposal,” said Governor Kelly.  

Transmission upgrades: Southwest Power Pool, which operates in at least 9 western states, recently announced an $8.6 billion investment in 50 transmission projects across its footprint.  

The upgrades are designed to help the grid operator meet increasing peak demand, which it says may double in the next 10 years.  

A focus of the investment will be on developing a “backbone” of 765-kV transmission lines, which can carry four times the power of standard 345-kV lines. Without upgrading to 765-kV lines, SPP says it would require up to six times more infrastructure and as much as five times more land to meet demand.  

To learn more about transmission in the West, watch our recent Energy Superabundance workshop, which focused on transmission issues. You can find each full conversation on YouTube.  

Northern lights: did you catch the Aurora Borealis this week? A powerful geomagnetic storm brought vibrant northern lights to much of the West on Tuesday and Wednesday, turning night skies into shades of green and pink.  

The lights were visible across much of the mountain west and even as far south as Oklahoma and New Mexico.  

Geomagnetic storms can happen when particles from the sun’s atmosphere interact with Earth’s magnetic field via a “coronal mass ejection,” which sends bursts of plasma from the sun’s atmosphere towards Earth.  

Early childhood education: in Washington, Governor Bob Ferguson announced a new grant program in partnership with Ballmer Group Philanthropy to dramatically expand Washington’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program. The Ballmer group committed to funding up to 10,000 additional preschool spots for low-income families over the next 10 years.  

Over the next decade, the investment will likely provide more than $1 billion in support for crucial early childhood learning.  

“The Ballmer Group’s investment sets up an innovative public-private partnership, and will transform the lives of thousands of little Washingtonians and their families,” said Governor Ferguson. “Thank you to the Ballmer Group for stepping up for our kids.”