BoatUS is sending the message to boaters that including outdoor industries such as boating and fishing in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product is good for them.
The Senate passed the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016 (Outdoor REC Act, H.R. 4665) on Nov. 28. BoatUS is telling its members they stand to gain from the bill in boating advocacy, services and safety.
BoatUS said it hopes President Obama will sign the bill before the end of the year. It instructs the Department of Commerce and federal land management agencies to provide statistics on the boating industry’s impact at those agencies. The information is used to tabulate GDP data.
According to the American Recreation Coalition, outdoor recreation represents more than 6 million jobs and $646 billion in economic activity annually.
“If recreational boating, as part of the outdoor industry, has its economic impact measured and highlighted, it could help support funding for improvements in recreational boating,” BoatUS government affairs manager David Kennedy said in a statement. “The passage of the act will also help policy-makers at all levels of government understand the importance of the recreational boating and sport fishing industries.”
