[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE VITAL IMPACT OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

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                          HON. DENNIS A. ROSS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 21, 2018

  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the vital impact of 
outdoor recreation on our economy and livelihood. Outdoor recreation 
and camping in the United States contribute significantly to our gross 
domestic product and Americans' physical and mental health. The great 
outdoors connect Americans to their natural heritage and bring families 
closer together. Significantly, outdoor recreation is the number one 
driver of economic activity on federal lands and contributes 
$673,000,000,000 to the U.S. economy, and supports 4,300,000 American 
jobs. Every dollar Congress invests in the National Park Service 
effectively returns $10 to the United States economy.
  Our national parks, national forests, and public lands and waters 
conserve natural resources, inspire young people, offer unique moments 
for all to enjoy, and encourage conservation of our shared environment. 
Unfortunately, many public campgrounds on our public lands and waters 
today face backlogged maintenance, deteriorating infrastructure, and 
struggle to meet the needs of modern day visitors. The American-made 
recreation vehicle (RV) industry is a domestic job-creating and 
thriving industry that contributes over $50,000,000,000 to the United 
States economy and supports over 300,000 American jobs. We must improve 
and modernize our national parks, national forests, and public lands 
and waters to adequately facilitate outdoor enthusiast and RV visitors.
  As a Co-Chair of the RV Caucus and an outdoor enthusiast, today I 
proudly introduced a House Resolution expressing the sense of the House 
of Representatives that the national parks, national forests, and 
public lands and waters of the United States contribute greatly to the 
economic and physical well-being of Americans and can be further 
improved by public-private partnerships. I am committed to working on 
innovative solutions and partnerships to modernize and expand 
campgrounds, address infrastructure needs, eliminate backlogged 
maintenance, and provide safe camping opportunities and enjoyable 
recreational experiences for all visitors on federal lands for 
generations to come.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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