Outdoor Industry and Recreation Groups Converge on Washington, D.C.

April 11, 2016

Outdoor Industry Association, The Conservation Alliance, and Outdoor Alliance joining voices to ensure that policymakers hear outdoor recreation loud and clear

(Boulder, CO, Bend, OR and Washington D.C.) April 11, 2016 – Outdoor Industry Association^® (OIA), The Conservation Alliance, and Outdoor Alliance will hold their annual advocacy events the week of April 25 in Washington D.C. Together, these three organizations demonstrate the social and economic value of the outdoor industry and outdoor recreation. In the past year, the outdoor recreation community provided critical support to many successful efforts to protect our public lands and waters for recreation. This week, the three organizations will meet with decision makers in Congress and the administration to discuss policies that will grow and strengthen outdoor places and the outdoor recreation economy.

This year has been historic for outdoor recreation, with the release of two pieces of recreation-focused legislation:

• Sen. Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen. Cory Gardner (R- CO)’s REC Act, which will measure the contributions of the outdoor economy.
• Sen. Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Blumenaur’s (D- OR)’s Recreation Not Red Tape Act, which seeks to improve access and permitting, as well as create an organic designation focused on the recreation value of public lands.

The event brings together outdoor industry leaders; executives from national membership groups representing climbers, paddlers, backcountry skiers, and mountain bikers; and emerging leaders in Washington, D.C. to represent their businesses and to lobby members of Congress and the administration to support industry recreation, trade, and business priorities.

OIA Capitol Summit

Outdoor Industry Association^® (OIA) will hold the 24th annual Capitol Summit on April 26-27. The outdoor industry played a key role in advancing all initiatives addressed during the 2015 Capitol Summit, such as increased funding for land management agencies and reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Maintaining this momentum on OIA’s trade and recreation agendas is crucial during this election year.

The two-day event provides business executives with insight into the current political landscape, an overview of OIA’s expertise on trade and recreational issues, and a D.C. insiders’ policy briefing and education session. OIA’s government affairs team arranges a full roster of key meetings with members of Congress and administration officials to help participants effectively deliver the message that the outdoor recreation economy is extremely valuable to America and that the outdoor industry depends on the support of its elected officials.

The week of events kicks off with a Climate Change Happy Hour featuring Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) at the Filson retail store in Washington D.C. on Monday (April 25) night and culminates with a Friend of the Industry Reception in the Kennedy Room in the Russel House Building on Wednesday night (April 27). 

The Conservation Alliance Conservation Policy and Advocacy Training

The sixth annual Conservation Alliance Conservation Policy and Advocacy Training will be held on April 25-27 in Washington, D.C. The Conservation Alliance staff, board of directors, and representatives from outdoor industry member companies will gather for a two-day meeting that combines one full day of training in conservation policy and one full day of meetings with Congressional and Obama Administration representatives. Many of the projects funded by The Conservation Alliance depend on action by Congress or the Obama Administration. The Conservation Alliance members will use their collective business voice to influence the decisions that impact our public lands and waters.

Outdoor Alliance DC Fly In

Outdoor Alliance will be bringing executives from its seven national membership organizations to Washington, D.C. to educate policymakers about priority issues to the community of nearly 200,000 human-powered outdoor recreation users that the groups represent. The priority issues are defending against the movement to transfer and sell off national public lands and supporting Sen. Wyden’s (D-OR) Recreation Not Red Tape Act, as well as reforming wildfire funding, permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and endorsing the REC Act, which would measure the contributions of the outdoor economy.

Outdoor Industry Association

Based in Boulder, CO, with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA supports the growth and success of more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers of outdoor recreation apparel, footwear, equipment and services. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353. 

Outdoor Alliance

Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations that include American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, and American Alpine Club.  We are backcountry skiers, hikers, paddlers, mountain bikers, boaters, and climbers who share a commitment to protecting public lands. In uniting our voices, we are building and nurturing a conservation constituency for the 21st century. For more information, visit outdooralliance.org. 

About The Conservation Alliance

The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas. 

Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment. 

Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $16 million to grassroots conservation groups. Alliance funding has helped save more than 45 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,972 miles of rivers; stop or remove 28 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 11 climbing areas. 

For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com. 

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