CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Outdoor recreation means 90,000 jobs and $9 billion in consumer spending for West Virginia, according to a new report.

The Outdoor Industry Association found recreation pays $2.4 billion in wages and more than $650 million in state and local taxes, even before that money moves out through the local economy.

Kenny Parker, co-owner of Water Stone Outdoors in Fayetteville, says the best part is that there's room to grow.

"Go to say, Bar Harbor, Maine, or any of those places and just count the number of businesses," he says. "This place could accommodate a lot more businesses that are owned by individuals who create their own job."

Observers sometimes downplay the outdoor industry's impact, arguing it creates many part-time, low-pay jobs. But Parker says when the number is 90,000 jobs, there's going to be room at the top. Plus, he says the money that comes in with tourists rolls over into other, unrelated businesses.

Dave Arnold, a founder and vice president of Adventures on the Gorge, started out running whitewater rafts decades ago. Now, he's the vice-president of an adventure resort company. He says West Virginia is within a long drive of as much as half of the U.S. population. The problem, Arnold says, is they don't know how great it is here.

"What that means is that you've got to really, really sell," Arnold says. "I mean, they'll come, but we have to sing the song loud, and we have to sing the song in unison."

Arnold points out the state spent about $30 million on tourism marketing at its peak - now that's under $10 million.

Parker agrees tourism marketing is a pretty sure thing for a state that has struggled with many kinds of economic insecurity. He says, for instance, getting a Birthplace of Rivers National Monument would be what he calls a "no-brainer."

"Everyone's going to benefit from it," notes Parker. "The National Park Service arrowhead logo, I mean, it brings dollars to an economy."

A recent poll done for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and the National Wildlife Federation saw strong support for monument designation statewide. It also found very strong opposition to selling off public lands in other states.


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HELENA, Mont. -- Wildlife managers and biologists in Montana are airing their frustration over how the state is managing its natural resources.

A group of retired and former wildlife managers who boast nearly 1,500 years of experience combined said Montana leadership is politicizing management in ways that are harmful to predators, hunters and habitat conservation.

Chris Servheen, former grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said state and federal-level managers want leaders to know they are disheartened with the direction Montana is taking.

"This is not something that is accepted by professional wildlife biologists, and it's not right, and it's not going to be beneficial to Montana and the wildlife in Montana," Servheen argued. "And it's really disturbing to see this partisan nature of what's happening now."

In their published opinion piece, the managers and biologists say they believe the leaders of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) appointed by Gov. Gianforte are focused on special interests like privatizing and commercializing elk hunting and are not using science to guide their decisions.

MFWP has proposed changes to elk and deer hunting it said will simplify regulations. The governor's office did not return a request for comment.

Dan Vermillion, a former commissioner on the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission for 13 years, believes the state has approved controversial methods for hunting predators like wolves, outside of fair chase hunting ethics and signal a move away from bipartisan wildlife management.

"The idea that the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission would approve a regulation that uses the word night and hunting and bait all in one sentence tells you how far they've strayed from the original and the traditional, historical approach to wildlife management in Montana," Vermillion asserted.

Wildlife managers and biologists in Montana are also concerned baited neck snares and leg-hold traps will also ensnare other predators. Lawmakers have said the changes are needed because of reduced elk and deer populations.

LINCOLN, Mont. - Residents in western Montana have proposed a unique approach to managing the landscape.

The Lincoln Prosperity Group includes conservationists, loggers, motorized-vehicle users and other seemingly disparate members. Karyn Good is a resident of Lincoln, a town northwest of Helena.

"We were a group with diverse interests who agreed whole heartedly on one thing, and that is that the status quo was not working." said Good. "And that was, sort of, our starting point."

The proposal calls for managing 200,000 acres of public lands surrounding Lincoln through a mix of conservation, forest restoration and outdoor recreation. Good said she believes the group came up with a well-balanced plan...

"Developing new mountain bike and ATV trails." said Good. "It establishes nearly 70,000 acres that will be managed for restoration, which is logging practices. And it expands the Scapegoat Wilderness and designates a new wilderness in Nevada Mountain."

The Lincoln Prosperity Proposal would create the first stand-alone wilderness area - at Nevada Mountain - in nearly 40 years.

Good said the proposal sets aside land for forest restoration to reduce the growing threat from wildfires. She said it also has economic benefits for the town, largely through recreation dollars.

Zach Angstead is the field director in Great Falls for Wild Montana, which is part of the group. He said the plan brings a holistic approach to protecting the landscape.

"The Lincoln Prosperity Proposal is a proposal looking to really expand how we think about managing our national forest land and doing that to the benefit of the people of Lincoln," said Angstead.

Russ Ehnes is president of the Great Falls Trail Bike Riders Association, which also is part of Lincoln group. He said motorized vehicle users have been working over the past two decades to improve trails in the valley.

Ehnes said there was plenty of give and take while developing the proposal.

"When it all came together," said Ehnes, "it was really a situation where every single one of us at the table could see that by having this kind of a collaborative solution, there was something in it that made our lives better."

The Lincoln Prosperity Group has been working with Montana's senators to get a measure introduced in Congress.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Hundreds of Oregon businesses have signaled their support for legislation protecting rivers across the state.

In an open letter, more than 200 businesses have thanked Sen. Ron Wyden - D-Ore. - and Sen. Jeff Merkley - D-Ore. - for introducing the River Democracy Act. The measure would protect about 4,700 miles of rivers in Oregon as wild and scenic.

The rivers were selected through a public nomination process. Chris Daughters, who signed the letter, owns the Caddis Fly Angling Shop in Eugene.

"While I'm in the angling business and I love clean water and high-quality habitat for all types of fish," said Daughters, "which Oregon is blessed to have a lot of - that's also really good for drinking water. And this act protects both of those things."

Outdoor recreation is a $7.2 billion industry in Oregon, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Currently, only about 2%, or fewer than 2,200 of the state's 110,000 river miles, have the highest protections as wild and scenic.

Patrick Kruse is founder of Ruffwear, which builds outdoor gear for dogs in Bend. He also signed the letter.

"Having these places that we can go and take a swim or play in the waves, or go kayaking," said Kruse. "I think those really are what bring us back to our environment and what really recharge us."

Over the summer, more than 50 Oregon breweries also voiced their support for the River Democracy Act.

A poll from January found 87% of likely voters in Oregon support additional wild and scenic river protections, including 75% of Republicans.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.