The Conservation Alliance Heads to Washington D.C. with Outdoor and Craft Brew Business Leaders

November 5, 2019

Group will meet with elected officials to encourage the passage of conservation and recreation bills

Bend, Ore., November 5, 2019– The Conservation Alliance is in Washington D.C. this week advocating for land and water protections across the country. Conservation Alliance staff is joined by representatives from five member companies including Backpacker’s Pantry, Duct Tape Then Beer, Kiitella, New Belgium Brewing, and Patagonia.

The group will meet with 13 congressional offices from both sides of the political aisle to demonstrate strong business support for key conservation and recreation priorities. The Conservation Alliance has chosen several campaigns from its list of legislative priorities to give heightened attention to this Congress. Those efforts would restore protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, uphold the National Roadless Rule, and secure new land and water protections in Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado – including the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act.

Last week The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.823, the CORE Act, the first statewide Colorado wilderness legislation to pass the House in more than a decade. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) earlier this year, brings four longstanding, locally built campaigns into one Colorado lands package. If signed into law, the bill will protect roughly 400,000 acres of Colorado’s iconic public lands across four varied landscapes.

“When Congress protects wild places for their recreation and habitat values, outdoor-inspired industries benefit. It is powerful to watch our members explain the economic benefits of protected and well stewarded public lands directly to their members of Congress,” said Kirsten Blackburn, Conservation Alliance Advocacy Manager.

About The Conservation Alliance:
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of like-minded 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 all companies who care about protecting our most threatened wild places for habitat and outdoor recreation. Since its inception in 1989, The Conservation Alliance has contributed more than $20 million, awarded 580 grants, helped to protect more than 51 million acres of wildlands; protect 3,102 miles of rivers; stop or remove 30 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 13 climbing areas. For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.