Protect Public Lands:
Granola Eaters and Sheep Blasters Unite!
Get Informed, Spread the Word.
From the Founder:
Folks can tell you that I'm far from non-partisan although I do consider myself informed, fair and have close friends people with quite different politics. I'm sending this to the OIU list to highlight a non-partisan issue that should deeply concern all of us. The OIA letter referenced above is a good intro if this is new to you.
I've been following this issue for some time now using two primary resources.
One is the Outdoor Industry Association. The OIA's PAC endorsements for the last election included both Republicans and Democrats. One of those endorsees was Republican Ryan Zinke from Montana, now Pres.Trump's nominee for Secretary of Interior.
The second is a reporter for the the Pacific Standard, Jimmy Tobias. Pacific Standard is left of center but enforces journalistic standards on it's content. This article provides useful background.
Here follows a big list of resources. I urge you to get informed and push out to your network any of the below that you think might resonate . (If you're an Outdoor Industry person, Choiunard's letter might be a good place to start, but I try to provide resources for a variety of interests. The latest news is the 2nd Guardian article.)
We in the outdoor biz are uniquely positioned to keep on top of this issue, and I feel it's our responsibility to become educated and to educate.
Feel free to forward out this whole newsletter as well. If folks sign up, I'll do my best to keep them informed. If need be, I'll create an "Alerts Only" group that wants to actually avoid all the OutInUnder stories.
The List
Outdoor Industry CEOs open letter. I'm calling this the Utah Revolt.
Other Outdoor Industry Association policy posts:
Organizations (in addition to the OIA.)
- Wilderness Society has a subsection of their website, Our Wild, that outlines their efforts. They also cover the Utah Revolt in a Medium.com piece: Outdoor brands stand up for Our Wild, send open-letter to Trump. We stand with them.
- Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: "Now, more than ever before, we need wild lands: places to rekindle the fire at the heart of the human soul. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is a nonpartisan group of sportsmen and -women who are standing up for these places and for the outdoor opportunities they represent."
- Outdoor Alliance has a site, Protect Our Public Lands and a great video.
- Center for Western Priorities. New to me before yesterday. They say "The Center for Western Priorities is a nonpartisan conservation and advocacy organization that serves as a source of accurate information, promotes responsible policies and practices, and ensures accountability at all levels to protect land, water, and communities in the American West." Emphasis mine; sounds promising. As far as I can tell, they're primarily pro-fact and anti-bullshit.
History. It's ironic that one of the things targeted in this play for public land is the Antiquities Act of 1906, one of Teddy Roosevelt's signature accomplishments. This recent attack on public lands is a weird turn.
Background and coverage - Pacific Standard's Jimmy Tobias:
Background and coverage - other:
If I'm missing something let me know.
Sincerely,
Al Tabor - OutInUnder Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
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Last month, the CEOs of most major Outdoor Industry companies took the unprecedented step of joining an 
