100 Outdoor Industry Companies Send Letter to Colorado Congressional Delegation on National Monuments and Outdoor Retailer Show

Denver, CO -- Over 100 large and small outdoor industry companies from across the country sent a letter to the full Colorado Congressional Delegation today asking them to work to protect America’s irreplaceable public lands, and help to confirm that moving the Outdoor Retailer show to Colorado was the right decision.

After holding the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City for 20 years, the industry decided change locations due to ongoing efforts by some of Utah’s elected officials to undermine public lands protections – the very places on which recreationists and the outdoor economy depend. The move to Denver makes good sense – Colorado has a rich tradition of keeping its national parks, national monuments, wilderness areas, and other public lands protected and accessible.

The letter thanks the Colorado delegation for bringing the Outdoor Retailer show to Denver, and for the warm welcome companies received.

Molly Cuffe, Director of Global Communications for Smartwool, a Steamboat Springs, Colorado based company, said, “One of the highlights of holding the show in Denver is knowing how Colorado residents treasure public lands recreation. We’re thankful that some among the Colorado delegation have been strong public lands supporters, recognizing that the protection of our public lands fuels our growing recreation economy.”

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, nearly three out of four Coloradans participate in outdoor recreation each year, generating more than $28 billion in consumer spending.

Companies that signed the letter note that while a number of the Colorado delegation members are true champions for public lands, a majority have supported recent actions by Congress and the Trump Administration which threaten to unravel protections for public lands across the country. These actions include a series of votes taken on issues including expanding energy development on lands that deserve protection, undermining national monument protections, and opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

Annelise Loevlie, CEO of Golden-based, Icelantic Skis, said, "We are proud to be based in Colorado and we're thrilled to now have the Outdoor Retailer show in our home state. Our congressional delegation's votes should reflect the love Coloradans have for our public lands. We want the Outdoor Retailer show to be in a state that not only defends our bedrock conservation laws, but that expands protection for our public lands."

Upcoming threats to public lands include legislation that would gut the Antiquities Act of 1906 by adding barriers to the designation of national monuments by presidential proclamation. “Changing the Antiquities Act, a law that been used by presidents of both political parties since Teddy Roosevelt not only threatens our heritage, it goes against what makes America great,” Jim Bartschi, President of Scott Fly Rod Company based in Montrose, Colorado.

Shelley Dunbar, co-owner of Sea to Summit and Neptune Mountaineering said, “Outdoor Retailer, our industry’s largest trade show, chose to move to Denver because our Colorado delegation said they would stand up for our public lands. Some of the delegation’s anti-public lands actions are of serious concern, as they run counter to the fundamental reasons why we moved the show from Utah to Colorado. We hope their future votes will safeguard America’s irreplaceable public lands, confirming that moving the Outdoor Retailer show to Colorado was the right decision.”

###

Background on Threats to National Monuments

On December 4, 2017, the President of the United States signed proclamations significantly reducing the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. The proclamations reduced the boundaries of the monuments to three units within the bounds of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and two units within the bounds of the Bears Ears National Monument. The BLM is moving forward with creating land use plans for these two monuments as well as lands excised from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the Kanab Field Office of the BLM. 

Comments on the land use plans are due March 19, 2018, or 15 days after the public meetings (to be announced), whichever is later.

Media Contact:

Anna Peterson

612-735-2402

anna@conservationcommunications.org

------------------------------

Letter:

February 12, 2018

Senator Michael Bennet

Representative Diana DeGette

Representative Jared Polis

Representative Ed Perlmutter

Senator Cory Gardner

Representative Scott Tipton

Representative Ken Buck

Representative Doug Lamborn

Representative Mike Coffman

We, the undersigned action sports, ski, health, and outdoor companies, wish to express our enthusiasm for the Outdoor Retailer Show having moved to Colorado, and the warm welcome we have received. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Colorado congressional delegation in bringing the show to Denver; the recent show was incredibly successful, and the level of enthusiasm for our industry gathering’s new home was high.

One of the highlights of holding the show in Denver is knowing how Colorado residents treasure public lands recreation. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, nearly three out of four Coloradans participate in outdoor recreation each year, generating more than $28 billion in consumer spending. Protected public lands are vital to this recreation economy.

After holding the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City for 20 years, the industry decided to move the show due to ongoing efforts by some of Utah’s elected officials to undermine public land protections – the very places on which recreationists and the outdoor economy depend. The move to Denver made good sense – Colorado has a rich tradition of keeping its national parks, national monuments, and wilderness areas, and other public lands protected and accessible.

However, recent actions by Congress and the Trump Administration threaten to unravel the protections for public lands that Coloradans hold so dear. These actions include a series of votes taken by more than half of the Colorado congressional delegation on issues including expanding energy development on lands that deserve protection; undermining national monuments and the Antiquities Act; and opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. These actions are of serious concern to us as they run counter to the fundamental reason our industry moved our biggest trade show to Colorado. We want to be in a state that not only defends our core conservation laws, but that champions protection for our public lands.

Critical and imminent public lands threats we face include various legislative initiatives that would gut the Antiquities Act of 1906 by adding unnecessary hurdles to the designation of national monuments by presidential proclamation (undermining a law that’s been used by nearly every president of both political parties since Teddy Roosevelt).  We urge you in the strongest possible terms to oppose any efforts to rewrite or undermine this bedrock conservation law.

The outdoor industry moved its trade show to Colorado for a reason – the history of support for public lands protection from Colorado’s congressional delegation and Coloradans. We sincerely hope that you will continue to work to protect America’s irreplaceable public lands, and help to confirm that moving the Outdoor Retailer show to Colorado was the right decision.

Sincerely,

2 K Enterprises

Active Brands North America

Airhead Sports Group

Alpacka Raft

Backbone Media LLC

Backcountry Delicatessen

Backdoor Sports Ltd

Backpacker's Pantry

Balanced Bookkeeping and Consulting

Bedrock Bags

Big Agnes

BOCO Gear

Bonfire Collective

Boneshaker Adventures

Clear Creek Outdoors

Climb High Productions

Cocktail Caravan

Conservation Communications

Craft 52

Crescent Moon Snowshoes

Dohm-Icebox, LLC

Durango Cyclery

Durango Outdoor Exchange

ECO-resolutions

Engearment Ltd

Event Medical Solutions Unlimited, LLC

Fishpond

FastG8

4Corners Riversports

Fourpoints Bar

goTenna

Granite Gear

Green Door Fitness

Hala Gear SUP

Hero Enterprises

Hestra Gloves

Hog Isand Boat Works

Honey Stinger

Icelantic Skis

Inkling Inc./TheTentLab.com

Inside/Out Communications

Jagged Edge Mountain Gear

Kahtoola, Inc.

KEEN Footwear

La Sportiva N.A., Inc.

Last Exit Goods

Liberty Skis 

MAD Racing Colorado

Magzook Tightening Systems, LLC

Mountain Bike Specialists

Neptune Mountaineering

Orange Peel Bicycle Service LLC

Osprey Packs Inc.

outdoor DIVAS

Outpost Sunsport

PackTowl

Pacsafe

Platypus

Purl Wax, LLC

Rapid Creek Cycles & Sports, LLC

Relish Studio

Revelry Experience

The San Juan Angler

SCARPA North America, Inc

Scott Fly Rod Company

Sea to Summit

SealLine

Seek Outside

Silverton Ski Hut, LLC

Skida

Skirt Sports

Small World Adventure

Smartwool

SOL Paddle Boards

SOLE

Suffer Better

T. Malouf Executive Search, LLC

Tailwind Nutrition

Therm-a-Rest

Tik Tok Ink

Timberline Events LLC

Timberwolf Pet Products

Toad&Co

Trek Light Gear

Trespass USA

Ultimate Direction

Ute Mountaineer

Verde Brand Communications

Wagner Custom Skis

Wallaroo Hat Company

The Wellness Bridge, LLC

White Cloud Communication

Wild Rye

The Wilder Studio

Zeal Optics