Speaker Roster Announced for This Land is Our Land March for Public Lands at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City

July 18, 2017

Leaders from key outdoor industry advocacy groups, outdoor and local businesses, Utah policymakers, athletes and Ute Mountain Indian Tribe to speak at July 27 event.

BOULDER, Colo. (July 18, 2017) – The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), The Conservation Alliance and Outdoor Alliance announced the speaker lineup for the This Land Is Our Land March for Public Lands on July 27 at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. The This Land Is Our Land March is a celebration of public lands across America, the foundation and bedrock of the outdoor industry.

The outdoor industry and others interested from the community will march from the Salt Palace Convention Center to the Utah State Capitol beginning at 4:30 p.m. At the Capitol at approximately 5:30 p.m., industry leaders and experts will hold a 45-minute rally to raise issues to spark further public lands discussion and action.

The purpose of the march is to

• Celebrate America’s bipartisan love for getting outside on public lands.
• Highlight the national and the Utah outdoor recreation economies. OIA will release new industry economic impact information, industry jobs numbers and taxes contributed by outdoor recreation during Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Outdoor recreation contributes $887 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports 7.6 million jobs. Come to the march to hear the economic numbers specific to Utah.
• Thank Salt Lake City for hosting Outdoor Retailer for more than 20 years with a special Utah-specific Parks4Kids grant through The Outdoor Foundation.

The speaker lineup includes 

Amy Roberts, Adam Cramer and John Sterling, executive directors of OIA, Outdoor Alliance and The Conservation Alliance, respectively. Each leader will speak about the importance of public lands to their membership and stakeholders.

Shaun Chapoose, chairman of the Ute Indian Tribe business committee and founding member of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, will reflect on the importance of the Native American perspective on our public lands.

Casey Sheahan, president of KEEN, an outdoor footwear brand known for living by its values, from its products to its actions, and for activating communities and individuals to protect and preserve the places where we work and play.

Blake Spalding, owner of the acclaimed Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah, will express the importance of public lands to her successful business that serves the community and visitors of Grand Staircase Escalante Monument.

Conrad Anker, professional climber and captain of The North Face global athlete team, will comment as a long-time advocate for public lands and conservation on both local and national levels.

Mayor Ben McAdams (Salt Lake County) and Mayor Jackie Biskupski (Salt Lake City) will provide local political perspective on Utah’s abundant public lands.

“This strong roster of speakers demonstrates the strong beliefs and conviction that the outdoor industry has around protecting our public lands,” said Amy Roberts, OIA executive director. We look forward to walking side by side with the industry and the Salt Lake City community to celebrate public lands.”

As a thank-you to the state of Utah, the industry will present Mayor McAdams and Mayor Biskupski a grant that will provide funding to get Utah elementary students outside to experience Utah’s public lands through the Parks4Kids Utah program. For the last 20 years, the Salt Lake City, Utah, community has welcomed the outdoor industry to conduct business in and around the Outdoor Retailer winter and summer markets. This program provides a way to continue investing in the state of Utah, public lands and outdoor recreation.

To join the This Land Is Our Land March and add your voice to the conversation, click here to RSVP to the Facebook invite and use #MarchForPublicLands and #KeepPublicLandsPublic to continue the conversation on social media. March attendees are encouraged to read the This Land Is Our Land March for Public Lands Code of Conduct and these tips prior to attending the march.

About Outdoor Industry Association

Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA unites and serves over 1,200 manufacturers, supplier, sales representative and retailer members through its focus on trade and recreation policy, sustainable business innovation and outdoor participation. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.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 1989, The Conservation Alliance has contributed more than $17 million in grants that have helped protect 50 million acres, 2,991 river miles, remove or halt 29 dams, acquire 12 climbing areas and designate five marine reserves.  For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, visit conservationalliance.org.

About Outdoor Alliance

Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations that includes 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.

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