The Daily - January 30, 2020 - 30

Ideas
B I G

A C T I O N

It's Time to Protect the West

Western Resource Advocates is building a task force of outdoor industry leaders who are
ready to do what it takes to protect public lands and resources. By Chris Steinkamp
industry know all too well, we are
facing immense environmental
challenges-from the impacts of
climate change to protecting our
public lands from fossil fuel development to stresses on our freshwater systems. But the outdoor industry has the unique ability to effect
real change on these important
issues. As an $887 billion industry
that accounts for 7.6 million jobs,
we have a powerful voice. How can
we use it most effectively?
Enter Protect the West, a business-focused advocacy initiative
organized by Western Resource
Advocates (WRA). Working exclusively in seven states throughout
the Intermountain West, WRA
is building a coalition of outdoor
industry leaders willing to engage
on issues such as climate change,
the protection of public lands, and
guarding clean water in the West.
The idea was first sketched out
during a conversation between WRA
President Jon Goldin-Dubois and
Kim Miller, Scarpa North America
chief executive officer. They saw
the need for bold action by outdoor
industry CEOs on the core environmental issues impacting our industry
and wanted to mobilize them in ways
that are strategic and impactful.
The outdoor industry plays a
critical role in both wild places
and communities throughout
the West. "Wielding influence
is most critical now, and the
outdoor industry has access to
decision-makers throughout
the West," says Goldin-Dubois.
"We're teaming with leaders and
brands in the industry, providing
very targeted and strategic policy-based information so they can
be laser-focused on the solutions
to the most pressing conservation

30

challenges facing the West." Think
quality over quantity.
"The private sector needs to
step up and use our influence to
address these important issues,
raising our collective voice to
leverage the changes that we need
to have happen to protect the
West," Miller says. "Western Resource Advocates has the knowledge, expertise, and drive to get
this important work done."
Since launching Protect the West
this year, WRA, along with the participation of the coalition, has led
efforts to protect against challenges
to the Roadless Rule, which threatens Utah's pristine backcountry; to
fight amendments to the NEPA Act
that threaten to eliminate public
involvement and open the door to

large-scale and destructive projects
across more than 93 million acres of
our national forests; and to encourage outdoor industry CEOs to
engage on the successful campaign
to get more zero-emissions vehicles
on Colorado's roads, among a long
list of other issues.
What makes Protect the West
unique is that it's a core group of
outdoor leaders who understand
the threats and are prioritizing action but want to do it in a
thoughtful and strategic way that
maximizes their time and ability to
move the needle. "Now more than
ever, this is the time for us to speak
up," Miller says. "Our vision is to
have this coalition be a true force
for change."
For more information and to join

the coalition, please visit:
westernresourceadvocates.org/
protect-the-west
Head to The Camp on Day 3, Friday, January 31 at 11 a.m. for the
panel "Carbon Neutral by 2030.
How Mountain Communities are
Leading the Climate Movement."
MT2030, Western Resource
Advocates, outdoor industry
executives, and mountain town
mayors will dive into what you as
a citizen can do to lead your community to Net Zero by 2030. The
session will focus on goal setting,
solutions, and implementations,
while also discussing how a small
mountain town can positively influence people and organizations
around the world.

Western Resource Advocates is building a coalition
of outdoor industry leaders
to protect public lands and
resources in the West.

/ OUTDOOR + SNOW SHOW 2020

CO U R T E SY W E S T E R N R E S O U R C E A DVO CAT E S

AS THOSE OF US IN THE OUTDOOR
http://www.westernresourceadvocates.org/protect-the-west
The Daily - January 30, 2020

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