Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through RVIA's website.
The RV Industry Association (RVIA) reports that the U.S. Senate has endorsed a study of federal spending on outdoor recreation backed by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. The amendment was added to a spending bill which will look at where federal spending on recreation is taking place, and at what levels, to help guide future investments in the industry. The House of Representatives also passed several bills out of committee that could be combined as the first-ever bipartisan Recreation Package long advocated by RVIA.
According
to RVIA data, outdoor recreation is a major economic force in America,
accounting for 2.2 percent of the economy. It supports 5.2 million jobs -
including many in rural areas - and contributes $778 billion in economic
output, surpassing agriculture, utilities, mining, and chemical products
manufacturing. However, RVIA experts point out, despite the industry’s continued
growth and contribution of tax dollars and user fees, federal funding on
outdoor recreation has declined or remained stagnant. The new study will guide
Congress in appropriately funding the vital agencies and programs that the
outdoor industry depends upon.