AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS: Best Beaches Belong to all Americans, Generate Billions for Local Economies

WASHINGTON, DC— Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today observed World Oceans Day and National Oceans Month by showcasing some of the economic benefits from the beaches in our national parks, seashores, lakeshores and wildlife refuges – beaches that belong to all Americans.

“From coast to coast, our national beaches generate billions in economic activity and support tens of thousands of jobs through outdoor recreation and tourism,” said Salazar. “America's oceans and beaches are national treasures, and Interior is committed to helping implement President Obama's National Ocean Policy to help ensure that these vital resources are healthy and resilient.”

The Department of the Interior manages more than 35,000 miles of coastline, including 85 marine and coastal parks administered by the National Park Service;180 marine and coastal wildlife refuges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and 1,100 miles of coastline of the California Coastal National Monument administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Coastal and marine national parklands contributed an estimated $3.5 billion to local economies in 2010. For more information on the economic contributions of all national parks, see the entire National Park Service report, which includes information on visitor spending by park and by state, online http://nature.nps.gov/socialscience/docs/NPSSystemEstimates2010.pdf.

Coastal wildlife refuges were estimated to contribute at least $900 million according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data. Bureau of Land Management lands like the California Coastal National Monument provided additional boosts to tourism and local economies.

For a photo gallery and description of some of America's beaches, visit: http://www.doi.gov/news/photos/Photos-Americas-Great-Outdoors-Beaches.cfm

For more information on Interior's ocean and coastal role, visit: http://www.doi.gov/pmb/ocean/index.cfm

To learn more about the economic contributions of some of America's beaches managed by the Department of the Interior, click here.

For the NPS Oceans Month feature, see http://www.nature.nps.gov/features/oceans/

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