A newly published study challenged arguments that public lands kill economic opportunity and job creation. The study evaluated data from 276 rural counties in 11 Western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. You can read it here: Federal Lands in the West: Liability or Asset?

It found that population, employment and personal income, on average, “grew significantly faster” in Western rural counties “with the highest share of federal lands compared to counties with the lowest share of federal lands.” Federal lands in the study include national parks, wilderness, national conservation areas, national monuments and national wildlife refuges – the home of America’s wildlife.