Northwest Montana News

It’s clean, it’s green, and it’s a big jobs creator for Montana – the state's outdoor recreation attractions. 

An expert with Headwater Economics in Bozeman says outdoor recreation is not just a luxury that Montanans enjoy in their spare time. 

“It is an important economic engine and it is going to become even more important,” Megan Lawson, an economist with Headwater, told Northwest Montana News.

Using recently released data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, Headwater found that outdoor recreation generated 71,000 jobs in Montana in 2018 and $7.1 billion in consumer spending.

“One of the things that really jumped out at us is just how the outdoor recreation economy is growing quickly and it’s growing faster than the overall economy,” Lawson said.

In 2017, outdoor recreation contributed 5.1 percent to Montana’s gross domestic product, Headwater found. With its relatively small population and vast stretches of forests and land where people can recreate, Montana is particularly well-suited to benefit from outdoor recreation, Lawson said.

Nature-based outdoor recreation includes boating, climbing, camping, hunting, fishing and skiing – activities that tend to take place at some distance from urban areas. Outdoor recreation also includes activities that take place in communities, including golf and tennis, outdoor festivals and concerts, and even gardening. 

So how can communities and businesses in Montana do more to capitalize on outdoor recreation? Lawson says Montana needs to think creatively and be deliberate in its strategy.

“What are ways that we can lure people in to get their supplies in town and to come back to town after that hunting trip?"

she said. “How do we make those connections between the public lands where that outdoor recreation is happening and the communities where that spending could really benefit?” 

A common misconception is that outdoor recreation is about tourism. Tourism and accommodation are only one part of a much larger picture, Lawson said. Outdoor recreation includes products and services and workers who are engaged in the production of outdoor recreation goods and services.

“Outdoor recreation attracts new residents and new businesses to communities," Lawson said. "It helps businesses attract employees. Montana has a lot of businesses that can capitalize on outdoor recreation. And that is only going to increase over time.”