In support of our outdoor tourism and recreation industry

Guest Post by Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton

Nevada is a tourism hub for our country. More than 50 million people visit Nevada each year. For decades, tourists from around the world have been drawn to Nevada mainly to experience the mystique of Sin City, but true Nevadans know that our state is much more than the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas. In my nearly 20 years of experience working as a waitress on the Strip, I had conversations with thousands of tourists, encouraging them to go out and see the rest of our state.

From Laughlin to Winnemucca, Nevada offers an endless array of camping sites, hiking and biking trails, and other natural habitats to explore. According to the most recent State Natural Resource Assessment of Nevada’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, Nevada’s borders enclose about 70.7 million acres, making it the seventh largest state in the United States. When looking more closely at the landscape of Nevada, about 81 percent is considered to be rangeland. These areas provide artistic values, open space, and outdoor recreation. In addition, forestland covers approximately 12 percent of Nevada’s land. This means there is no shortage of natural, untapped beauty in the Silver State, and it’s time for us to leverage this resource so that we can position our state to be the leading destination for outdoor recreation and ecotourism.  

The outdoor recreation business model harnesses our natural and cultural heritage to generate economic activity by attracting visitors to sites that offer outdoor recreational activities and experiences. It also entails conserving the natural environment and promoting economic empowerment in rural communities so that future generations could continue to thrive.

We have already seen positive results as more and more tourists visit places such as Valley of Fire State Park, Lake Tahoe, and hundreds of other destinations around our state. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, the outdoor tourism industry in Nevada generates more than $12 billion in consumer spending annually, approximately $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenue, and employs 87,000 people, surpassing the number of jobs in our state’s mining industry. In addition, the outdoor recreation economy alone generates $4 billion in wages and salaries. This industry influences more than just guests and visitors in Nevada — it sustains the livelihoods of thousands of Nevadans while also diversifying our economy.

For our state, a more robust outdoor recreation industry would mean an increase in revenue, an increase in jobs, and an increase in economic development for our rural communities. Put simply, outdoor recreational tourism is crucial to Nevada.

That is why I am carrying Assembly Bill 486, a measure which would establish the Division for Outdoor Recreation within the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The division would recommend and assist in implementing policies and initiatives that would enhance outdoor recreational amenities and experiences. It would also be tasked with promoting the growth of the industry and creating policies aimed at conserving natural resources in our state. In addition, the division would be required to create an impact study which would identify industry opportunities for businesses involved in outdoor recreation.

This is a piece of legislation that would promote and support an important sector of our economy. We are a state that is powered by tourism, and as we take steps to support the industry, we need to be mindful of the potential that Nevada’s natural heritage has to offer.