I posted this in chat, but there wasn't much of a response.

With more and more talk of closing trails, and desert races I was wondering how many people are employed solely due to the off road industry?

I know there are a lot of companies big and small that employ a lot of people; Rancho, Skyjacker, BTF, All pro, 4wd mags, Jeep, and many more. Not only the people who build the parts, but the secretaries, and everyone else on staff. The latest stimulus package cost almost a Trillion dollars and will probably only create 3.5 million jobs, while allowing OHV users to keep enjoying the trail system that is already in place could save how many jobs.

I think this could be a good talking point when writing to politicians since they only seem to understand numbers, and not emotions.

You might want to contact ORBA with your question:

http://www.orba.biz/

Ride on
Brewster

i am just guessing here, but i would suspect that the industry employees well over 2 million across all venues.

Now, my numbers may be on the low side, but this is a good number.
I am not taking into consideration of those with the BLM, FS, National Parks, and all the state OHV parks across the country.

I am sure if you include all of those, the number could easily exceed 10 million.

Todd

I am not taking into consideration of those with the BLM, FS, National Parks, and all the state OHV parks across the country.

I am sure if you include all of those, the number could easily exceed 10 million.

Todd

This might falsely presume that ALL Government employed by the Agencies are pro-OHV, or even neutral. That is majorly false. Too many are members of PEER, Lassen Forest Preservation Group, Sierra Club and other anti groups, yet have a Government job. I don't think most of the -ologists are pro OHV either.

I had one long term USFS employee tell me she's been working for 25 years to SHUT DOWN The High Lakes OHV area, and wants it to be Wilderness, yet she works as staff in the District Ranger Office.

Fortunately, they are not ALL in the majority, or in decision-making positions.

Ken

Still if all these areas are turned into wilderness they would still be out of a job.

If the Sierra club (or any anti OHV goup) succeeds the US workforce would lose close to 10 million jobs. Would this be an accurate statement?

Still if all these areas are turned into wilderness they would still be out of a job.

If the Sierra club (or any anti OHV goup) succeeds the US workforce would lose close to 10 million jobs. Would this be an accurate statement?

Wilderness still needs to be managed. So the loss of government jobs may not be a factor.

Mostly the job losses would be the motorized privates sector, ATV'S, Motorcycles, UTV's 4 Wheel Drives.

The biggest hit would be the aftermarket suppliers and distributors, like 4 wheel parts (which wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit) and many others.

Check out the vendor section here on Pirate to get an idea of what could be lost in the private sector.

Job losses will go higher than just the immediate 4x4 sector suppliers. We have already seen Hummer for example, being dropped and so their past funding for things like trail repairs, which then means local services are no longer able to be purchased, tool hire, etc, etc.

The OHV lobby groups have already made staff cuts, such as in ORBA and NOHVCC.

Closures of places like Tellico cut jobs and shrink rural communities.

Getting into the outdoors may certainly be part of the ecconomic solution by allowing use of basic resources to keep people and communities alive.

Ultimately, the wilderness closures will have a negitive impact on the economic recovery of the small communities around our public lands.

As we take away the people who recreate and spend money in these small comunities, some of these people will probably move into the big cities looking for other opportunities. others will remain and try and eek out a living, but not like what they used to have.

The economic impact of wilderness in the coming years will be greater then the current financial problems, and will only feed this fire storm.

I know there are economic impact statements out there, and they need to be reviewed, redone to show the impact on this economy that our sport can bring to local economies.

Todd