Utah Update

At this past Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) was in the heat of dialogue with the State of Utah and then-Governor Mike Leavitt regarding his commitment to the outdoor recreation business and the destinations required for that business to thrive. OIA's support of Salt Lake City as a show location was at stake. Earlier in the year, Utah and the Department of the Interior reached a settlement on a lawsuit that left millions of wilderness-quality acres open to development. At Summer Market, Leavitt pledged to the OIA Board of Directors that he would work to protect Utah's recreation gems through interim and long-term protection and to make Utah the recreation capital of the world.

Prior to moving on to the Environmental Protection Agency, Leavitt signed an executive order setting up a Recreation Economic Ecosystem Task Force, as well as a letter to his planning office directing it to use all the tools at its disposal to protect wilderness-quality lands.

In December, Utah Governor Olene Walker (who succeeded Leavitt) met with OIA staff and two board members and affirmed her commitment to promote the outdoor recreation industry in Utah. During the meeting, she announced her appointments to the Outdoor Recreation Economic Ecosystem Task Force and asked Lieutenant Governor Gayle McKeachnie to facilitate the group's work.

"It is my hope Utah will become the world's leading outdoor recreation destination and industry center. This industry is a great contributor to our economy and has the potential for the additional creation of new jobs, especially in rural Utah," said Gov. Walker in announcing the Task Force.

Walker appointed five members from Utah state government, five members from county government and six representatives of the outdoor recreation industry to the task force, including: Peter Metcalf, Black Diamond; Roody Rasmussen, Petzl America; Riley Cutler, Wasatch Touring; Sheri Griffith, Sheri Griffith Expeditions; Ashley Korenblat, Western Spirit Cycling, and Glen Zumwalt, Big Pine Sports.

The Task Force will work cooperatively to develop a business and marketing plan to build and promote Utah's outdoor recreation industry. With an eye toward economic development, they will seek to build bridges between the outdoor recreation economy and the traditional western heritage economy of rural Utah.

OIA has specific goals and looks forward to working with the state of Utah to see them through. Protecting the crown jewels of Utah's wild lands is critical to the work of this Task Force. Potential threats to recreation gems brought the industry to the table at the beginning; ensuring that those gems are available for the long term continues to top OIA's list of Task Force goals. For the Task Force endeavor to be productive, we believe there must be an opportunity to both identify and protect the key places needed for recreation. We will continue to advocate that both through the Task Force and in every other appropriate venue. Resource management plans, road claims, and lease sales for drilling in pristine places are in progress; all could dramatically affect recreation experiences in Utah and cannot be ignored.

As a result of our work in Utah, we would like to see the state become a benchmark for other states in protecting the full spectrum of recreation opportunities, from wild, adventurous mountaineering or whitewater experiences to urban trails and parks. This is a great opportunity for the industry to both lead and build bridges with other interests in the West, and expand our ability to effect change in public lands policy across the country.