As Congress approaches the end of the fiscal year without a bipartisan agreement to fund the government, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) has issued a warning of the significant and lasting damage a shutdown would have on America’s $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, its 5 million-strong workforce, and the hundreds of thousands of businesses and rural communities that rely on access and certainty, according to a press release.
“The administration and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle must do everything in their power to avoid a government shutdown,” said Jessica Turner, president, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “Shutdowns — and even the threat of them — harm the outdoor recreation economy, close off public lands and waters, and inflict financial hardship and uncertainty on businesses, workers, and local communities who are already dealing with numerous challenges.”
A government shutdown — potentially paired with federal staffing cuts or reductions in force — would have immediate and widespread consequences across the outdoor recreation sector, ORR said, including:
Impacts to Businesses & Economy: The outdoor recreation economy contributes $1.2 trillion annually and supports 5 million jobs. Outdoor recreation has grown 36% in real terms since 2012, ORR said. Shutdowns cut into this growth and those losses can’t be recovered as these businesses and gateway communities are not paid back.
Impacts to Local Communities: According to new data released by the National Park Service, national park visitor spending alone contributed $56 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024. Small towns, particularly those in rural areas, that depend on public land visitation lose vital revenue, putting jobs, healthcare, housing and childcare further at risk, according to the ORR press release.
Impacts to Land & Water: Without staff, trash piles up, basic maintenance halts, permits aren’t issued and clean-up costs increase — risking long-term harm to our natural resources and wildlife, ORR said. Additionally, important projects like those supported by Great American Outdoors Act are stalled and cost more to stop and restart.
Impacts to Visitors & Safety: Closures and reduced services disrupt long-planned family trips during fall or winter travel season, with safety risks and cascading costs from canceled flights and lodging and the potential these families will not “risk” another trip to our public lands in the future.
Impacts to Staff: Furloughs and mass firings create immediate financial harm to federal workers. Local staff, contractors, and even private businesses face financial stress and unpaid bills and often have to halt their spending until a shutdown is resolved.
The outdoor recreation industry has long supported bipartisan solutions that strengthen conservation and access — like the Great American Outdoors Act and the EXPLORE Act, ORR said. ORR is calling for that same spirit of cooperation to prevail now.
“Congress must act decisively to avoid a shutdown and adequately fund and staff the agencies that manage and provide access to our public lands and waters—this is essential to the health and wellbeing of the nation,” Turner added. “Short-term fixes aren’t enough. We need long-term, reliable funding to ensure certainty for businesses and communities and to support innovation and protect access that drives this thriving sector.”
ORR and its members stand ready to work with the policymakers, agency leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure that budget disagreements don’t close the doors to the great outdoors or undermine the powerful economic engine and health benefit that outdoor recreation represents, the press release said.
