The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) just released a congressional district by congressional district study of the impact of outdoor recreation on regional economies. The results in the 3rd Congressional District should surprise no one.
Residents of the 3rd-CD spend $2.19 billion on outdoor recreation, and the district is home to 241 outdoor companies, both the second-highest totals in the state. Outdoor recreation is a key piece of our economic future, which is why we need someone like Democratic candidate Karl Hanlon in Congress.
Our current representative, Scott Tipton, seems to have a singular focus: opening our public lands for extractive industries, via auction and lease, and standing in the way of enhancing their protections. It’s as if he’s blind to booming outdoor recreation economy, which depends on these public lands.
Karl Hanlon, on the other hand, sees the enormous economic potential the outdoor recreation economy has for this region, which otherwise has lagged behind the economic growth on the Front Range. If we want a more robust economy, we need someone with bold ideas: We need Karl Hanlon.
Mike Doyle
Mancos
