Louisiana Brings in Big Money with Outdoor Recreation

Do you like getting outside to enjoy a little recreation? You're not alone. Numbers are in that Louisiana residents spend about $15 billion a year on outdoor recreation across the state. 

Jobs in that sector total more than 146,000 and outdoor activities generate $4.6 billion in wages and produce $1.1 billion in state and local taxes. Experts say this is one part of the economy that continues to grow. But there's another problem: Louisiana is not taking care of its State Parks.

Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said he’s not been able to do much maintenance on any of Louisiana’s state parks with his budget in recent years.

Money has been moved from a repair fund into park system general operations, leaving no money to take care of the cabins and amenities that bring in money for the state. Some $25 million has been siphoned from the maintenance fund for operations over the past five years.