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Witnesses warn cuts, land‑sale proposals threaten outdoor recreation infrastructure and tourism
Summary
During the same Senate Small Business field hearing in Colorado, witnesses and committee members warned that proposed federal budget cuts and discussion of public‑land sales would undermine the national and Colorado outdoor recreation economy by reducing visitor services and international tourism demand.
Senator John Hickenlooper and three Colorado outdoor‑industry entrepreneurs discussed how public lands and federal land management funding support the outdoor recreation economy and the potential harms of proposed budget cuts or land transfers. Witnesses said diminished staffing and the prospect of selling public lands could reduce visitation, harm international tourism and erode the industry's infrastructure.
The hearing underscored why public lands matter to the outdoor industry: witnesses called public lands the "core infrastructure" of the sector and tied maintenance and staffing directly to visitor experience and local…
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