Mornin' to the Superior firefighters who saved a deer who had fallen through the ice on the St. Louis River. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

*This is our last issue of 2023! Thank you so much for all the support this year, we sure do appreciate each and every one of you. And if you still need a (belated) gift, we have inventory in the Wiscampsin shop. Happy holidays, see you in 2024!

This week’s weekly:

• 2022 outdoor industry impact 💰

• 150+ year-old shipwreck discovered 🤯 

• Rare blue geese bagged 🪿

The 2022 WI Outdoor Industry Impact Report

With 2023 nearly wrapped up, it’s time to crack open a cold one, pull up the charts, and take a look at the outdoor industry’s economic impact on our great state… from 2022.

You see, at the end of the year, the Office of Outdoor Recreation releases its annual report on Wisconsin’s outdoor industry and the value it adds to our GDP.

But apparently, it takes a while to get this data, hence why we’re talking 2022.

Regardless, we have great news to report. Keep readin’!

Wisconsin’s outdoor industry (2022):

• Brought in a record $9.8 billion for the state’s GDP

• Supported more than 94,000 jobs

• Motorcycling/ATVing rank #1 activity for most money contributed

The numbers

In 2022, a record $9.8 billion was plugged into Wisconsin outdoor recreation by ‘Scons (and out-of-staters).

This marks a record increase of 6.8% from 2021’s number - which was also a record!

*Note: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has only tracked these figures since 2018, but hey, still pretty impressive.

What’s more, outdoor recreation accounted for 2.2% of the nation’s GDP, but in Wisconsin, it accounted for 2.5% of our state’s GDP.

The biggest contributor was motorcycling, ATVing and UTVing, which amassed an impressive $1.1 billion, 10% of the nationwide total for this category!

But it wasn’t just ‘Scons getting after it: over 100 million people visited the state in total in 2022.

Local and visiting travel, travel and tourism increased by 14.2% for travel and 8.7% for tourism. This padded our GDP with another ~cool~ $3 billion.

Guides, manufacturers, retail staff - the outdoor industry supported nearly 94,000 jobs, 3.1% of the state’s workforce.

Why it matters

It might feel a little gross to analyze outdoor recreation purely from a monetary standpoint, but by doing so, we can help lawmakers see the importance of this sector.

“With over 800 miles of Great Lakes shorelines, more than 1,000 miles of Ice Age Trail, countless state parks, forests, trails, and green spaces, outdoor recreation is core to Wisconsin’s culture and identity, and it’s an important piece of our economy… These record-breaking numbers are just further evidence that investing in outdoor recreation is an investment in Wisconsin’s economy and way of life.” - Gov Evers.

And with news that Wisconsin would be getting additional funding and support for its two new National Park System trails, well… we couldn’t be more stoked.

If you want to learn more, check out this infographic or read the full report.

Now get out ‘der and support our outdoor economy!

Other great Wiscampsin reads…

Holiday Gift Guide for 'Sconnies

The 2021 Recap on Wisconsin's Outdoor Economy

Wisconsin's Air Quality

Shop Wiscampsin

Wisconsin State Bird Art Print: “Very nicely made, great colors and design. It looks amazing in my home. Keep it up Wiscampsin ❤️” - Peggy

Wiscampsin Badgers Tee: “It’s the perfect t-shirt to show off my love for camping and Wisconsin at the same time :)” - Emily

Wiscampsin Recycled License Plate Frame: “Love it! Get out der! Makes my Mazda look even better” - Alex

Wiscampsin Mug: “Awesome mug, very lightweight, the mug doesn't get piping hot if you need to microwave your coffee either.” - Matthew

Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Well folks, 66% of readers love the idea of WI residents getting a two-week head start to book their beloved state park sites over non-residents.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

⛵️ 1871 shipwreck discovered: A father-daughter fishing duo stumbled across a confirmed shipwreck from 1871 in Lake Michigan this past summer. Investigators finally checked it out and confirmed, indeed, it is not a “rare Green Bay octopus” as the father thought. The wooden three masted sailing ship has not yet been identified, but the location and data matches the barkentine GEORGE L. NEWMAN.

🪿 Shoot, der it is!: Two boys and their father were out goose hunting in Manitowoc when they bagged something pretty special—a couple rare blue geese! What started as a slow hunt turned into an exciting encounter with a flock of geese, and the boys were able to harvest some fresh meat and an unforgettable memory.

🦌 “I would die for love”: Literally. While searching for a mate, a roaming bull elk from Wisconsin was unfortunately struck by a semi truck in Illinois. The 4-year-old bull belonged to the Black River Falls herd, and was tracked via trail cams and eye witnesses as he traveled hundreds of miles in search of love.

 Sponsored by our Wiscampsin Shop!

Let’s be honest, what does that special someone in your life really want for the holidays? Some slippers? Another snow shovel? An engagement ring?

LAME. Check out the Wiscampsin shop for a great stocking every good ‘Sconnie will love!

Recycled coffee bean coffee mugs, license plate frames, our new shirts… Everything we stock, we source as sustainably as possible to keep our green spaces all the greener.

*And as always, 1% of profits will go to the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.

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Meme of the Week 😂

A review from the trail… Great, we’ll see ya out ‘der!