No-brainer: Hunting, fishing vital to S.D.
September 17, 2017
It may seem like a no-brainer for anyone who lives in South Dakota and enjoys its rich outdoor heritage, but even from outside the state looking in, hunting and fishing are a major cog in the state’s economic health.
That’s according to the Boulder, Colo., based Outdoor Industry Association, which last month released the state-level Outdoor Recreation Economy Report showing the economic impact of the outdoor industry in all 50 states.
For South Dakota, the report stated, that impact means 48,000 direct jobs in the state, generating $1.2 billion in wages and salaries, $4.7 billion in consumer spending and $255 million in state and local tax revenues each year.
Earlier this year, the association released its national Outdoor Recreation Economy Report, which found that the outdoor recreation economy generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually and sustains 7.6 million American jobs.
“No matter your political affiliation, where you live or your walk of life, the outdoors brings us together,” the association’s executive director, Amy Roberts, said in a release.