Untamed Dividend: Minnesota’s Outdoor Economy in Focus

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode, we dive deep into the newly released 2025 Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Economic Impact Report. This isn’t just a conversation about lakes, trails, and gear - it’s about jobs, GDP, and the powerful ripple effect outdoor recreation has on every corner of Minnesota’s economy and culture. Key Topics Covered: Why Minnesota commissioned its first comprehensive outdoor recreation economic report The surprising scale of impact: $13.5B in state GDP $23.5B in total economic output 96,000+ jobs supported The biggest economic drivers: boating & fishing, hunting, RVing, ATV/motorized recreation, and snow-based sports How the report was built using federal BEA data and the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) Why county-level data reveals powerful local and rural insights The non-economic impacts: health, wellness, workforce development, rural revitalization, and community identity What we can do with this data - and why it matters to decision-makers, business owners, and every Minnesotan Why It Matters: Outdoor recreation isn’t just a lifestyle - it’s a foundational economic engine.

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