Shutdown highlights role of conservation in local economies
WASHINGTON (Oct. 15, 2013) – The Obama administration’s decision to shutter the U.S. National Park System during the ongoing government shutdown has already cost local tourism economies billions of dollars and should prompt a reevaluation of the proper federal approach to conservation, the R Street Institute said today.
The shutdown has forced some states, like Utah, to take up the slack by agreeing to put up the funds to reopen national parks within their borders to cushion what would otherwise be a crippling blow to the recreation industry. According to the Moab Area Travel Council, which serves an area that includes the Arches and Canyonlands national parks, Moab lost $9.8 million in 14 days the parks were shut down.
R Street Associate Fellow Ryan Cooper, author of a forthcoming R Street paper on the potential for federal conservation designations to spur economic development in certain areas of the West, the shutdown highlights the importance of an agenda to conserve those places that lure tourists, while still permitting resource extraction and devolving authority to states or the private sector where appropriate.
“Government-lite conservation is an approach where places are opened up to visitation consistent with the long-term health of the attractions, founded on a good working relationship with local communities,” Cooper said. “This approach can create long-term economic benefits in nearby ‘gateway’ communities and the nation as a whole, while preserving America’s natural heritage.”
Reporters pursuing stories related to the shutdown of the National Park System can contact Cooper at [email protected] or 950-560-4976.
