From the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis:
This looks like a very good reason to not let public land turn private.
Outdoor recreation accounts for $412 billion of the U. S. gross domestic product, representing 2.2 percent of the overall GDP.
This translates to 4.5 million jobs with compensation of $214 billion in the same year.
Outdoor recreation contribution to the GDP is greater than farming, mining or public utilities, and is comparable to broadcasting/telecommunications.
Recreational boating and fishing account for $36.93 billion of that total, the single largest category of activities identified by the report.
This analysis was a result of the passage of the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016, which required the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior to conduct, assess, and analyze the outdoor recreation economy of the United States and its effect on the overall U. S. economy.
This looks like a very good reason to not let public land turn private.