Outdoor Alliance

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) passed in 2020 and has provided billions of dollars for trails, parks, and public lands and waters across the country. Outdoor Alliance rallied thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to help pass GAOA, which also permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and directed funding for the maintenance backlog on National Parks, National Forests, and other public lands. Passing this package was a big lift, but now it’s important that we know how well the program is working. Here are a few of its successes: • New and improved trail bridges for Wilderness areas in the Eastern Sierra • Improved access to climbing at Rumney Rocks in New Hampshire • Increased visitor safety and water treatment in the Grand Canyon • Improvements to mountain biking trails in the Bridger-Teton National Forest • Adaptive trails at Gooseberry Badlands in Wyoming GAOA is one of the biggest wins for outdoor recreation in the last few years. Outdoor Alliance and our partners are dedicated in working to renew the program before it expires next year.

In 2002, two leaders in the paddling community, Pam Dillon and Risa Shimoda helped to found a coalition of recreation groups committed to working together to protect landscapes and outdoor experiences. The American Canoe Association was one of the founding members of Outdoor Alliance. Together, we have united the human-powered outdoor recreation community to achieve lasting conservation victories. From our roots as a scrappy collective of whitewater paddlers, mountain bikers, hikers, climbers, and skiers, Outdoor Alliance has developed a powerful presence in D.C. Our collective voices have made a true difference in protecting places, passing great policy, and expanding sustainable access to the outdoors. With so much at stake in the coming years, from climate change to growing demand for green space, we are just getting started. Learn more, and join us for the next ten years of conservation powered by outdoor recreation.

It may feel like we’re close to the finish line, but the race to pass the EXPLORE Act isn’t over yet! In April, the House passed the EXPLORE Act, a bipartisan package of outdoor recreation policy that would improve and expand outdoor recreation experiences on America’s public lands and waters. Now, the Senate is working to pass it before year’s end. The EXPLORE Act would expand outdoor programs for kids and veterans, create more long-distance bike trails, protect climbing in Wilderness, modernize recreational permitting, and extend grant funding for green space in communities that need it most. So, how do we pass it? “Keep sending messages to your representatives,” says Tania Lown-Hecht, Vice President of Communications at Outdoor Alliance. “At the end of the year, everyone’s knocking on the door of Congress. We need to make sure the EXPLORE Act rises to the top of their agenda, as this is a win-win.”

Check out a series of educational pieces from Outdoor Alliance member org, The Mountaineers on the importance of mindful recreation and how to respect, and honor the rights and connections of Native peoples on the lands we love. In partnership with the Sacred Lands Conservancy, this two-part blog series explores the important history and context pertaining to the treaties that allow us to live, work, and recreate on the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest. The Sacred Lands Conservancy is an Indigenous-led nonprofit with strong ties to the Lummi Nation. These educational pieces explore how we can all develop deeper connections to the histories of our natural places.

“Advocating in DC is a lot like skiing a big line…” Last month, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance joined Outdoor Alliance in Washington D.C. to advocate for more protected public lands and waters, climate action, and expanded access to outdoor recreation. Outdoor Alliance also gathered the first cohort of its Grasstops Collective, a training program for grasstops advocates to build relationships with their lawmakers. Dani Poirier, Director at Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, who is a member of Outdoor Alliance’s Grasstops Collective said, “Advocating in DC is a lot like skiing a big line. It's intimidating leading up to it, but you feel empowered and accomplished when the day is done. Conserving outdoor recreation opportunities is important and our collective voice is helping move the needle.” As we approach the end of the year, there is a lot of critical legislation at stake that would protect America’s public lands and waters, and ensure that outdoor recreation experiences are sustainable. Take action by asking your lawmakers to pass the EXPLORE Act, fund public lands, and support the BLM Public Lands Rule.

Hurricane Helene has had devastating effects on western North Carolina and other parts of the east coast. It has also had profound effects on many beloved outdoor landscapes and communities. “Our first priority is the safety and well-being of Outdoor Alliance’s staff, partners, and their communities,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “We are grateful for the efforts of first responders and search and rescue crews, as well as to those working to get supplies to communities affected by the storm.” Many local recreation organizations are mobilizing to help, and American Whitewater reminds recreationists to stay off waterways and other recreation areas in the short term. In the months ahead, there will be work to rebuild communities as well as trails and other recreation resources which are central to life in the southern Appalachians. There is work for the larger community to ask Congress to provide needed emergency funding, resources to restore public lands and waters in the southeast, and to address the climate crisis, including through nature-based climate solutions that can help mitigate the effects of extreme weather events.

Outdoor Alliance and outdoor advocates from around the country held more than 80 meetings with lawmakers on the Hill last month, championing some of our biggest policy priorities for the end of the year, including passing the EXPLORE Act. The EXPLORE Act is a bipartisan package of outdoor recreation policy to improve outdoor recreation on America’s public lands and waters. It includes many key bills that Outdoor Alliance and its partners have helped develop. Including: • The BOLT Act would create more biking trails • The PARC Act would safeguard Wilderness climbing • The SOAR Act would modernize recreational permitting for guides and outfitters The EXPLORE Act would also help land managers coordinate their efforts to improve access to nature and expand green space in communities that need it most. The voice of the outdoor recreation community, including outdoor business, is what we need to get this package across the finish line! Use our FastAction form to write your lawmakers about it: https://lnkd.in/geZqNYy4

Last month, Outdoor Alliance celebrated ten years of conservation powered by outdoor recreation in Washington D.C. We kicked off the week at REI’s flagship store where Bruce Westerman, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, spoke about the importance of the outdoor community in advocating for the EXPLORE Act. Alongside 250 partners, board members, friends, and outdoor advocates, including REI, Patagonia, and professional climber Tommy Caldwell, we toasted some of our biggest successes over the last ten years. The outdoor community’s success at moving the needle on conservation is a team effort—the result of our powerful coalition of outdoor recreation groups, our partners in outdoor business, our partners in the environment and hunting and angling, and many tireless champions in Washington D.C. They are also the result of many voices speaking up on behalf of the outdoors. Be a part of the next big legislative wins supporting public lands and waters by taking action: https://lnkd.in/gguCYkRh

National Public Lands Day is Saturday, and we’re inviting you to join us in honoring the public lands and waters that shape our adventures. At Outdoor Alliance, we believe that everyone deserves access to public lands for recreation—whether it’s paddling down a river, topping out on a climb, hiking a neighborhood trail, or sending it on your mountain bike. Tomorrow, we encourage you to get out there and enjoy our public lands, but also to take some time to protect the places you love. Here are four ways to support public lands: • Write your lawmakers • Make a donation • Volunteer your time • Help spread the word By standing together, we can protect the present and future of outdoor recreation on America’s public lands and waters.

This month, outdoor recreation advocates and lawmakers in the West doubled down on supporting legislation that would improve outdoor recreation on public lands. The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act includes over a dozen policy measures to support recreation on public lands, from constructing long-distance bike trails and funding green spaces to supporting gateway communities. Outdoor Alliance held nearly 80 meetings about the EXPLORE Act with lawmakers and staff on Capitol Hill earlier this month. The push was part of our 10-year anniversary celebration. “The idea was to enhance the anniversary celebration by doing the type of advocacy and policy work that defines it,” said Adam Cramer, Outdoor Alliance CEO. “The message was crystal clear that a lot of people, a lot of communities, a lot of constituencies want this. I think that signal was received, and that gives me a lot of confidence that the Senate can figure it out.”