Public Lands in Utah and the West are in Jeopardy; the Industry Speaks up

Recently, Peter Metcalf, president of Black Diamond Equipment, and Roody Rasmussen, president of Petzl, contacted Utah Governor Mike Leavitt to express their displeasure at a recent decision that affects all outdoor companies. At the center of the debate was closed-door policymaking and the venue of the Outdoor Retailer trade shows—the largest trade shows in the state, which provide $24,000,000 in annual revenue and have an estimated 40,000 participants.

Mr. Metcalf wrote, "As the co-founder, CEO & president of a climbing equipment manufacturing company directly employing 250 people here in Salt Lake City, I have serious concerns about the recent behind-the-scenes agreements that Governor Leavitt cut with Interior Secretary Gale Norton, which threaten wild lands in Utah. These are lands that support my business, our vendors' businesses, as well as the enormously popular outdoor recreation lifestyle of hundreds of thousands of Utah residents."

Mr. Rassmussen echoed Metcalf's position by writing that the economic benefits of the Outdoor Retailer trade show "bring with it a stewardship responsibility. [The Governor's] recent decision to eliminate the system that holds land in wilderness quality while [studies can be made] to determine if these lands should be granted Wilderness status exhibits a lack of appreciation for both the outdoor industry and the stewardship responsibility entrusted to the office of the Governor."

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has noted with concern several important legal cases regarding the protection of wild places around the country. Settlements, like the one in Utah, will affect recreation destinations and Americans all over the West, and will open millions of acres of wilderness quality lands to activities that could degrade these qualities. Such settlements also remove important processes for orderly creation of new wild places. Without question, these actions cast doubt on policymakers regarding their long-term commitment to protecting the precious landscape that defines the outdoors. We detect a trend that jeopardizes both the health of backcountry recreation destinations, and outdoor businesses.

In a recent survey of OIA members, a strong 92 percent of outdoor recreation product manufacturers, suppliers and retailers around the country felt it was "very important to preserve wilderness areas," and 80 percent agreed that it is "essential to establish new wilderness areas." Clearly, the vast majority of OIA members agree with Mr. Metcalf and Mr. Rasmussen in that the impact of policies on quiet, pristine recreation destinations should be a primary consideration when creating policy for public lands. As a collective business community, we adamantly oppose efforts to gut policies that could lead to negative impacts on the American recreation experience.

The fact remains that many policymakers are in a prime position to be public land stewards and protect time-proven policies that have served Americans and the public lands well. Wild places are the economic backbone of outdoor recreation businesses across the nation, and ensure the physical and emotional health of 149 million Americans that participate in active outdoor recreation each year. Every outdoor company has a responsibility to be a public lands steward. Take time to talk to your Congress people, Senators and Governors, and make sure they know you are watching. It's good for your company, employees and customers.