Outdoor Retailer - January 2021 - 29

CONTROLLING THE PANDEMIC AND STIMULATING
THE ECONOMY ARE GOING TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE
LIST FOR THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, AND WE
BELIEVE OUR PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERS CAN BE
A KEY PART OF THE RECOVERY.
on those relationships and what Biden has
laid out in his platform on climate, public
lands and water, and even on trade-that we
will have plenty of opportunities to build on
the work that we did with Obama in office.
I'm quite confident that we'll be able to work
with Biden's cabinet. We're focused on taking
a look at what the new Congress is going to
look like, who the key players are going to be
on relevant committees, and building out our
policy agenda for the next year. It's going to be
robust. We're really excited about the opportunities that we're going to have. I think we
will have the ability to get quite a bit done.
How do you see the outdoor industry
coming out of the economic downturn
of the pandemic?
We were quite excited to see the latest numbers from the Bureau of Economic Analysis
that showed the outdoor recreation economy
stands at $788 billion. It supports 5.2 million jobs. It counts for 2.1% of GDP. So, in the
midst of this pandemic and the impact it's
had on our businesses, the outdoor recreation economy remains vibrant and strong.
It's gratifying to see that, in difficult times,
more Americans are embracing the outdoors
and some are getting outdoors for the first
time and understanding the value and health
benefits. We can certainly be a part of initiatives to help promote the physical and mental
health benefits of the outdoors.
In four years, we could have another
Republican president and policies that
could reverse any work the Biden administration does-just as we saw the Trump
administration undo so much of Obama's
outdoor platform. How do we work to
keep conservation and issues the out-

door industry cares about turning into
a constant back and forth?
One of the things that we can do to really continue the work we've done so far is to bring
the message of the outdoor policy agenda to
both sides of the aisle. When folks were lobbying, for instance, on permanent authorization and funding of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, some speculated that it
might not be worth trying to cross the aisle,
but we did. We worked with Democrats
and Republicans over several years. And
the result was finally getting the Great
American Outdoors Act signed into law by a
Democratic house, Republican senate, and
Republican president. Of course, we worked
with our members and other stakeholders against President Trump's initiatives on
Bears Ears and others, but I think the way
to address it in the future is to continue to
bring that message to both sides of the aisle,
too. Also that message has to come not just
from people like myself, or people based in
Washington, DC, but also from state and
local communities across the country. The
importance of preserving our public lands
and waters, not just for now, but for future
generations, should be a bipartisan issue.
Preserving our public lands and waters is for
the benefit of all Americans-conservative,
liberal, Republican, and Democrat.
And what, in your work, have you seen be
the most effective way to reach or come
to agreement with people who are more
intractable when it comes to how much of
the outdoor industry sees as the best way to
manage public lands?
What I've noticed in my time on the Hill with
OIA representing the outdoor industry is
you're always going to find someone, whether

it be Republican or Democrat, who loves the
outdoors and loves outdoor recreation and a
wide variety of outdoor activities from hunting and fishing to hiking and camping. You
connect with those offices, you connect with
those members of Congress-not just staff,
but members themselves. They're aware of
our brands. So you work to develop a dialogue
where there may be skepticism. You can always point to a common love for the outdoors,
a common love for some type of outdoor recreation. So you zero in and focus on that.
It's not always easy. It can take several years. I keep going back to the Great
American Outdoors Act-it took over a decade of meetings and dialogue to finally get
across the finish line. You have elected representatives on both sides who recognize the
political power of the outdoors. I think they
believe in the outdoors on its merits, but they
also recognize that this was a vote-winner too.
We should be proud that we can build on that
even in the most hyperpartisan environment.
This is what keeps me coming back to the
Hill as an advocate for the outdoors. You can
always make connections and have a dialogue.
You build on that. You get your brands and
businesses and their employees and the state
and local communities to reach out and engage. You can make progress. It's not easy, but
that's where I think we can be bipartisan-in a
mutual love and respect for the outdoors and
for the benefits of outdoor recreation.
What are you most excited about when it
comes to the next four years?
Again, we're excited that we have the opportunity to partner with the new administration
and Congress to help the outdoors thrive. We
are a business trade association, but when the
outdoors thrives, our businesses thrive. So I
think we have the opportunity to help the outdoors across a wide variety of issues. We put
together a policy platform on climate for the
first time. For our businesses, we want to help
their bottom line on the trade front and ensure
a more stable, predictable environment. But
what's most exciting is we have an engaged
partner in the incoming administration. I'm
looking forward to getting to work. O.R.

January 2021 / OUTDOOR RETAILER 29

Outdoor Retailer - January 2021

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