Outdoor Retailer - March 2021 - 20

Feature .01

LAND DESIGNATIONS

On Jan. 27, Biden signed an executive order
that signals his commitment to invest in clean
energy and restore balance to public lands and
waters. As part of the order, he halted new oil
and gas leasing on federal lands and offshore
waters; the Trump administration had offered
more than 25 million onshore acres and 78 million offshore acres for sale during his four years.
Biden also put a moratorium on all oil and
gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge, saving the vast swath of wilderness
from drilling-for now. And lawmakers recently reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection
Act, which would prevent extraction permanently if passed. Separately, Biden opened a
60-day review to examine how Trump shrunk
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah by 2 million acres.
Restoring the boundaries and enforcing pro-

20 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ March 2021

The 30 by 30 plan
would protect
30% of U.S. land.
Currently only
12% is protected.

" TRUMP SHRUNK BEARS EARS AND GRAND STAIRCASEESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENTS IN UTAH BY 2
MILLION ACRES. RESTORING THE BOUNDARIES AND
ENFORCING PROTECTIONS WOULD BE A MASSIVE WIN. "
tections would be a massive win.
" We have a new president; we anticipate
that he will make good on promises he has
made to restore Bears Ears, " says Keala Carter,
lead advocate and public lands specialist
at the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, at
The Conservation Alliance breakfast during Outdoor Retailer Winter Online. " We
are very hopeful that, in the next few months,
there will be even bigger news for Bears Ears. "
The status of Alaska's Tongass National
Forest, which is the world's largest intact
temperate rainforest, is also under review
by Biden. In 2020 Trump excluded the area
from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule,
which was enacted to prohibit roads from
crossing forestlands.
Lastly, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness in Minnesota is still under the
threat of the proposed sulfide-ore copper mine, the Twin Metals mine. Several
groups, including state Rep. Democratic
Congresswoman, Betty McCollum, have requested that Biden take action.

30 BY 30

Along with hitting pause on new oil and gas
leasing, Biden's executive order includes guidance for the 30 by 30 plan-an ambitious goal
to protect 30% of America's land and 30%of its
ocean by 2030 in order to preserve biodiversity,
food supplies, and nationwide health. To start,
the Interior Department has been directed to
consult agriculture and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign Tribal
nations, states, and territories, and other officials to note the priorities.
NMMA's Vasilaros says it's key for the outdoor industry to be at the table for those conversations so recreation and conservation continue to align. " We know that recreational activity
is consistent with conservation, " she says. " You
can go outside, enjoy your natural resources,
and do so in a way that conserves and enhances
the environment. "
Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is of a
similar mindset and appealed to the government's purse strings in a letter sent to Biden on
Jan. 27. The trade association and 28 member

Andrew Kornylak (top), Kiliii Yüyan (previous page)

nder President Joe Biden, public lands and the climate have a
bright future, environmentalists
and advocates say. Climate and
the economy are top priorities for
the 46th president, which sets the stage for the
outdoor industry's engagement in the making
of policies and reminding the administration
of the economic power of outdoor recreation.
" When you look at how to get the nation back
on its feet and the economic opportunities, outdoor recreation squarely fits in that rubric, " says
Nicole Vasilaros, who leads policy development
and advocacy strategy for the National Marine
Manufacturers Association (NMMA).
There's already momentum for outdoor
recreation. One highlight from the last four
years under President Donald Trump was
the passage of the Great American Outdoors
Act in June 2020. The historic bill includes
permanent funding for the Land and Water
Conservation Fund and filling the $12 billion
infrastructure backlog through the Restore Our
Parks Act. Plus, outdoor recreation has been
counted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis
to be 2.1% ($459.8 billion) of the nation's gross
domestic product-with the possibility of ballooning even more as more Americans seek solace from the pandemic outside.
Therefore, outdoor organizations are keeping a close watch on Biden's promises in order
to stay involved and keep the administration on
track. Here's what they know is coming down
the pike so far.

Outdoor Retailer - March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outdoor Retailer - March 2021