How Much is "Wild" Montana Worth?

Perhaps anyone who takes a minute to stare at the mountains, forests or rivers understands the natural amenities Montanans enjoy have a value with no discernable price tag. While the intangible values may remain in the memories of family hunting camps or river floats, recent studies continue to show that our natural backdrop makes for a significant economic impact as well.

Natural resource managers recently released economic numbers for some of the Helena area’s most visible natural resources: the Helena and Lewis and Clark national forests and the Missouri River. While those amenities contribute beyond the scope of the studies, the reports show the public land and water driving nearly $120 million annually.

In 2014, preliminary numbers showed 11 million tourists visited Montana, spending nearly $4 billion. The vast majority of promotional materials showcase the state’s wild places, said Dan Iverson with the Montana office of tourism.

“We have a brand platform that’s about spectacular unspoiled nature, which we have more of than any other area in the lower 48,” he said. “It’s one of the advantages we have, and advertising is absolutely driven through landscape photographs and in the paid media it’s mostly about nature.”

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