Outdoor retailers give Utah ultimatum on wilderness

PUBLIC LANDS —The outdoor recreation industry is flexing its economic muscle—some $640 billion spent annually by Americans on gear, travel and services—to push for wilderness protection in Utah, threatening to pull a lucrative biannual trade show if the state doesn’t change course on environmental issues.

According to a story in the Denver Post , the industry last week gave Utah’s governor an ultimatum: give up on a threat to take over federal land in the state or risk losing the Outdoor Retailer outdoor gear show that draws thousands of visitors and injects more than $40 million yearly into the state economy.

The outdoor industry and related services represent a sizeable chunk of Utah’s income—roughly $4 billion a year, or 5 percent of the state’s gross product, the Post article says.

It’s not the first time the 4,000-member-strong Outdoor Industry Association has threatened to take its business elsewhere.