MIC Celebrates Passage Of Natural Resources Management Act In U.S. Congress
More than 100 recreation industry leaders applauded the passage of the Natural Resources Management Act during a reception yesterday for the 116th Congress hosted by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. And voicing their approval were representatives from the Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association.
Seven Congressional representatives addressed the gathering at the Rayburn House Office Building. MIC President and CEO Tim Buche introduced Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, thanking Stivers for his service in the Ohio Army National Guard and for his commitment to outdoor recreation. Buche noted the great trail riding available to Ohio powersports enthusiasts, and that when a major shipping company left Stivers's district a few years ago, Polaris Industries, a valued MIC member, picked up much of the space and set up a distribution center.
Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va.; Garret Graves, R-La.; Peter Welch, D-Vt.; Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore.; Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.; and John Curtis, R-Utah, were also recognized for supporting outdoor recreation, including providing funding for the Bureau of Economic Analysis' Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, and securing appropriations for the first federal government study of the outdoor recreation economy at the state level. Last year, the government released national data demonstrating the importance of an outdoor recreation economy that accounts for 2.2 percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product and directly supports 4.5 million jobs.