Activities in Alabama on Interior-managed lands supported $1.6 billion and over 10,000 jobs in Alabama in 2018, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Economic Report for Fiscal Year 2018 highlights Interior activities covering conventional and renewable energy, recreation, non-fuel minerals, irrigation and conservation that resulted in $315 billion in economic output and supported 1.8 million jobs during the year, an increase from $254 billion in economic output and 1.6 million jobs in the 2016 fiscal year.
“As the stewards of our public lands and waters, we are committed to being a good neighbor and serving alongside local communities,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said in a press release. “The Department of the Interior is entrusted with managing a wide variety of activities on public lands that support nearly two million jobs and generate $315 billion in economic impact, benefitting local and state economies. Today’s report highlights the significant contribution our public lands make in our economy, which continues to grow under President Trump’s leadership.”
In the 2018 fiscal year, activities in Alabama on Interior-managed lands supported 1,140 jobs and $55.4 million in value-added from recreational activities; 8,040 jobs and $644 million in value-added from energy and mineral development; and 1,030 jobs and $6.4 million in value-added from major grants and payments.
Interior-managed lands and waters produced 923 million barrels of crude oil, 4.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 322 million tons of coal in the 2018 fiscal year. Oil, gas and coal produced from Interior-managed lands and waters supported an estimated $151 billion in economic output and an estimated 643,000 jobs.
National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Monuments and other public lands managed by Interior hosted an estimated 486 million recreational visits in the 2018 fiscal year, up from 473 million in the 2016 fiscal year. These visits supported an estimated $58 billion in economic output and an estimated 452,000 jobs nationwide.
