Economic Outdoor Recreation

Non local visitors spent over $56 million in the three counties surrounding the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in 2016, generating $78 million in total economic output and creating 1100 full and part-time jobs. Estimated economic impacts of outdoor recreation and their sustainability can be helpful for informing regional economic development policy for conservation areas world-wide.

Outdoor Recreation as a Sustainable Export Industry: A Case Study of the Boundary Waters Wilderness