Small Business Majority Releases Series of Ads Showing the Importance of Public Lands to Small Businesses, Economy

With the most recent jobs report showing signs of economic improvement, Small Business Majority and the National Association for the Self-Employed released a series of ads today in several Western states and Washington, DC calling on the president to keep the economic ball rolling by protecting public lands for the good of small business owners and the economy. The five-figure ad buy in Politico, the Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, the Albuquerque Journal and the Las Vegas Review-Journal is running in advance of the Western Governors Meeting in Las Vegas Wednesday, where Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will discuss public lands policy.

The ads use an infographic to show how important public lands are to state and local economies. The outdoor industry generates $646 billion annually and supports 6.1 million jobs. The recent government shutdown showed the effect our nation̢??‰?s public lands have on small businesses and our economy. By one estimate, $500 million was lost when tourists were unable to visit national parks and sportsmen were locked out of wildlife refuges and other areas at the onset of hunting season. Recent polling from the Center for American Progress shows that an overwhelming 82 percent of voters agree the shutdown illustrated the importance of our parks; three in four voters agree it had an impact on local economies.

Public lands are also important to businesses other than those associated with the outdoors or the tourist trade. Small Business Majority̢??‰?s opinion polling found a majority of non-recreation businesses in Western states point to their state̢??‰?s parks and public lands as a key reason for relocating to the Rocky Mountain West. What̢??‰?s more, half of entrepreneurs in the West do business in their state because of opportunities tied to public lands and three in four small business owners support designating more public lands as national monuments.

̢???America̢??‰?s parks and public lands matter to local economies and small businesses. Protecting our national heritage is important to our economic sustainability, and our legacy to future generations,̢???? said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. ̢???It̢??‰?s imperative our nation̢??‰?s leaders continue to take steps to protect our national lands in order to support small businesses and the economy.̢????

The Center for American Progress poll found by a margin of more than 3-to-1, voters believe that leaders in Washington should be creating new parks and expanding opportunities for Americans to get outdoors.