“Financially Illiterate” Doug Burgum Ignores $1.3 Trillion Public Lands Economy; Gifting Special Interests License To Exploit
Memorandum: “Financially Illiterate” Doug Burgum Ignores $1.3 Trillion Public Lands Economy; Gifting Special Interests License To Exploit
To: Interested Parties
From: Save Our Parks
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Contact: Jayson O’Neill, Save Our Parks Spokesperson
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told a room full of corporate executives last week that everyday Americans who want to protect public lands and waters are “financially illiterate.” Speaking at BlackRock’s Infrastructure Summit, where he hobnobbed with executives from the world’s largest investment firm, Burgum complained that conservation advocates “don’t understand the financial impact” of protecting landscapes from drilling and mining.
The numbers tell a different story. And they suggest Burgum might want to check his own financial literacy after insulting every American who loves and supports our public lands and parks. In fact, over three-quarters of Americans believe that ‘protecting and preserving the nation’s history and natural beauty through national parks, forests, and other public lands is one of the things the government does best.’ But ‘Where’s Waldo’ Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is ensuring this is no longer the case by implementing his fail-by-design plan to exploit, sell out, and sell off America’s public lands and parks.
According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation contributed $1.3 trillion to America’s GDP in 2024, more than 2% of the entire economy. The sector supports 5.2 million jobs across the country.
Conventional outdoor recreation activities like hunting, fishing, climbing, horseback riding, cycling, and snow sports generate $350 million every day, adding up to tens of billions of dollars in gross annual output in direct activity. Supporting industries like lodging, restaurants, transportation, and retail contributed an additional $641 billion to the economy. Much of that infrastructure exists specifically because of proximity to public lands and is often in rural areas and communities whose future and livelihoods depend on vibrant and accessible public lands.
Americans who spend their money on national park visits, fishing licenses, camping gear, and local businesses near public lands aren’t financially illiterate. They’re investing in a proven economic engine that returns sustainable, long-term value to communities across the country. They understand that intact ecosystems, clean water, wildlife habitats, and recreational access generate wealth that compounds over generations.
What’s financially illiterate is treating America’s valued public lands as nothing more than balance sheet assets to be liquidated for one-time lease payments and royalty streams. What’s financially reckless is dismissing a $1.3 trillion economic sector that supports millions of jobs in favor of corporate interests that contribute a fraction of that value.
At the very least, Doug Burgum should apologize to the American people for insulting them, and perhaps consider remedial courses in both economics and ethics.
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