In Brief: Nine More Viewpoints from the Future
Protecting our Public Lands Will Be the Equivalent to Growing Jobs, Local Economies, and our Workforce
"Since childhood, my father instilled in me the importance of being outdoors. Our beautiful landscapes and public lands are what make New Mexico the land of enchantment after all—and with that comes a thriving outdoor economy, a $3.2 billion industry in our state, that we need to invest in, grow, and protect. Whether rafting in the Rio Grande Gorge, hiking in the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument, or traversing Carlsbad Caverns National Park, guides, infrastructure, restaurants, equipment, and lodging are all needed. And on top of that, jobs in restoration, ecology, and land management as well. The ripple effects of our public lands can be felt in rural and urban communities alike. By protecting our public lands we create jobs, bring people into our state, and build long-term prosperity."
—Deb HaalandFormer Secretary of the Interior and current candidate for governor of New Mexico
More Americans Recreate on Public Lands than Ever Before
"Next year, the United States will turn 250 years old, a birthday party two and half centuries in the making. There will be celebrations in cities and towns across the country, from Westbrook, Maine to San Diego, California, but the truest celebration of our nation won’t be on pavement, but on America’s public lands. Today, more than 181.1 million Americans are recreating outside, with increasing participation across almost every demographic group. That’s more than half of Americans! We’ve reached a cultural tipping point. Outdoor recreation is now the norm, rather than the exception. Next year, as even more people celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday by getting outside on public lands, I am confident that this trend will only accelerate."
—Alex BoianDirector of Government & Community Affairs, REI Co-op
Multiple Use Unites Americans
"The year 2026 will be remembered as a galvanizing moment for America’s shared public lands and waters. Beating back Utah Senator Mike Lee’s proposed land sales in 2025 proved that Americans of every political stripe can unite around our common ground. In 2026, we have the chance to set that truth in stone for our elected officials: Our public lands and waters are not bargaining chips. Multiple use unites Americans; it will not divide us. Public lands and waters are national treasures that demand stewardship, not sacrifice—united we stand for public lands."
—Ryan CallaghanPresident and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
The Economic and Recreational Value of Our Public Lands Trumps the Administration’s Energy Dominance Agenda
"While certain leaders in Washington have promoted the rhetoric that land management is a zero-sum game between extraction and conservation, the contributions to the national GDP made by the outdoor recreation economy demonstrate otherwise. Currently, outdoor recreation generates $1.2 trillion annually, and is especially impactful in communities where lands remain protected—such as national monuments, parks, and wilderness areas. Public lands attract businesses, create jobs, entice visitors, and increase property value. Additionally, while development such as drilling and mining generate revenue for the extraction industry in the short term, the economic benefits of public lands protection sustain in perpetuity. In 2026, more and more leaders across the aisle whose decisions are primarily driven by the economy should understand the long-term and far reaching economic benefits of keeping public lands in their protected state."
—Paul HendricksExecutive Director, Conservation Alliance
Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands Continues to Expand
"AllTrails members spent 75 percent more time exploring public lands in 2025 than they did the year before. That’s the highest rate of growth we’ve seen since 2020, when the pandemic drove record-breaking outdoor participation around the globe. As people increasingly seek time away from their screens and the news cycle, we predict 2026 will set a new high bar for outdoor recreation growth."
—Carly SmithChief Marketing Officer, AllTrails
National Park Gateway Communities Take an Economic Hit
"In 2024, 72 million international visitors came to the United States. According to the U.S. Travel Association, on average, 35 percent of those international visitors included a visit to a national park. That would mean that, in 2024, approximately 25 million international visitors visited national parks and spent money in gateway communities. President Trump has instituted a new system where an international visitor pass will be $250 and each non-resident visitor in the vehicle entering the larger parks will be charged an extra $100. This policy will require rangers at the entrance to parks to determine the citizenship of all park visitors so as to charge the correct fees. As a result, I predict that visitation to our national parks in 2026 will decline significantly and the economic impact will be felt in the gateway communities that rely on robust tourism. "
—Jonathan B. Jarvis18th director of the National Park Service
Sound Public Lands Stewardship Will Move Toward Sound Economic Stewardship
"The public-lands conversation will be increasingly shaped by economic considerations, with strong business voices making the case that the long-term economic value of land and water conservation vastly outweighs the short-term profits of extraction. Protecting public lands will be positioned as good for Main Street, and as the common ground that we share as a nation. Nonprofits and businesses will lead this movement, with a focus on influencing any immediate threats to public lands and also the midterm elections. Their message and incentive will not be 'because we like public lands' (even though they love them). It will be because we quite literally can’t afford to lose them."
—Kate WilliamsCEO, 1% for the Planet
Key Midterm Elections Will Swing on Public Lands Issues
"The fall of 2026 will be the chance for voters to express their dismay at the GOP's disdain for public lands: expect it to be a major issue in many elections. People really noticed when they went after public lands early in the Trump onslaught—it was one of the few places where the backlash forced a temporary retreat. I think it will stick in people's minds."
—Bill McKibbenAuthor of Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization and 18 other books
Sell-off Plans—and Those Who Support Them—Go Down In Flames
"We predict that the American public will continue to reject public land sell-off schemes and the political appointees who support the sell-off agenda. One of the first challenges in the new year to that end will be the confirmation hearing of former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce to head the Bureau of Land Management. Pearce is a longtime advocate of selloffs with a political track record that proves it, and his nomination to head the BLM—an agency that oversees 245 million acres of public land across the country—is raising alarm bells with conservationists and public land advocates alike. "
—The Editorial Staff at Field and Stream
