
100 Outdoor Industry Companies Send Letter to Colorado Congressional Delegation on National Monuments and Outdoor Retailer Show
Focus on Outdoor Retailer Show moving to Colorado, national monuments, and continuing to protect public lands
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.”
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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
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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