OIA Policy Alert: Letter to Support Priorities in Build Back Better Act

The deadline to sign-on has been extended to Friday, December 10th!

Proposed Climate and Outdoor Investments in the Build Back Better Act are Pivotal to the Future of Business, People, and the Planet  

Congress will spend the next weeks finalizing the contents of a historic social spending bill. Key provisions in the Build Back Better Act will tackle climate and environmental justice issues head-on and will promote key policies for the outdoor industry’s success. The draft legislation has changed over the past months of negotiation, and as the process heads toward the finish line, we must ensure that those issues that matter to us are retained in the final bill language.  

These historic investments include dollars for the creation and funding for a Civilian Climate Corps; capital and incentives for the development and deployment of renewable energy across sectors; and, increased resources for underserved communities to have access to safe, clean, and accessible green spaces.  

As Congress moves forward on finalizing the legislation, considering amendments, and eventually handing it to President Biden for signature, it is important that our industry’s voice is heard and that these consequential programs are codified and implemented. The vitality of the outdoor industry, our outdoor participants, and our climate are dependent upon this generational opportunity for investment.   

NOW is the time to voice our industry’s priorities for the Build Back Better Act! Ensure your company’s support is heard and add your company’s name to our letter to Congress by close of business on Friday, December 10th.

Read the letter here.

It is pivotal that key provisions outlined below remain in the final text of the legislation for passage. OIA and our members support the following crucial components of the Build Back Better Act: 

  • The creation and funding for a Civilian Climate Corps to bring jobs to local communities, and to advance implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act; 
  • Robust funding for the Department of the Interior; 
  • Funding for pivotal investments in renewable energy, including expenditures in the power sector, as well as tax incentives for the development and application of clean energy solutions across sectors; 
  • Environmental and Climate Justice funding for disadvantaged communities to address disproportionate public health and environmental damage; and, 
  • Initiatives prioritizing the development of urban parks and other place-based programs supporting increased access to outdoor spaces in traditionally underserved communities. 
  • Combined with important investments committed in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Build Back Better Act will ensure that our nation’s lands and waters will get the attention needed to encourage resiliency, health, and sustainable access.
  • The Build Back Better Act will also prioritize catalytic investments in renewable energy, and in rural and urban communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.
  • Finally, the Build Back Better Act will include human-centered investments that will make it easier for people throughout the country to experience the wonder of the outdoors.

Now is the time to speak up about our values and priorities around the future of the planet, our industry and outdoor participants! Sign our letter to Congress before December 10th!  

Current signatories (as of December 10th): 

BBB Signatories as of 4pm MT Dec 10  

 

22 Designs 

Akers Digital  

American Camp Association  

b4 Adventure 

Backcountry Access, Inc. 

Backpacker’s Pantry (American Outdoor Products) 

Backslope Tools 

BearVault 

Bearclub Outfitters 

Bell (Vista) 

Bemis 

Big Agnes 

Blackburn (Vista) 

Board Retailers Association  

Bridge City Kid 

Burton 

CGPR 

CamelBak 

caseSensitive Photos 

Clif Bar & Company 

Colorado High School Cycling League 

Collaborative Trails 

Compose[d] 

Conatus Counsel 

Confluence Sustainability 

Cross Current Insurance Group 

DHTC CO LTD 

Darn Tough Vermont 

Darn Tough Vermont(R) 

Emerger Strategies 

Erem Desert Inc 

evo 

First Name LLC 

flaik 

Giro (Vista) 

Hipcamp 

Honey Stinger 

Hyrdo Flask 

Industrial Revolution 

Industrial Revolution -UCO 

Island Explorer LLC dba Whidbey Island Kayaking 

Jones Snowboards 

K2 Sports 

Klean Kanteen 

Krimson Klover 

L.L.Bean 

La Sportiva N.A., Inc. 

LightHeart Gear 

Linked Adventures 

Miir 

Minneapolis Southwest KOA Holiday 

Minority Outdoor Alliance 

Mountain Khakis 

Myles Apparel 

NEMO Equipment 

New Balance 

Never Summer Mountain Products 

Oberalp North America 

Orvis 

Osprey Packs Inc. 

Outbound Collective 

OutdoorX4 Magazine & XPLORE Journal 

Outdoor Afro 

Outdoor Research 

Patagonia 

Peak Design 

PeopleForBikes 

Playmakers, Inc. 

PolyCore Solutions 

Portland Design Works 

REI Co-op 

Ruffwear 

Rutabaga Paddlesports 

See More Birds Nature Tours 

Sierra South 

SIMBOL Communications 

Simms Fishing Products 

Smartwool 

Snow Peak 

South Coast Tours LLC 

Stanley, a Brand of PMI Worldwide 

The Sporting Life Network 

Toad&Co 

Tools For Trails 

True North Gear 

Turtle Fur 

Vargo Outdoors 

VF Corp 

Verde Brand Communications  

WA Event Management 

WAYWARD 

Waterloo Bicycle Works 

Western Spirit Cycling 

Weston Backcountry 

YAMA Mountain Gear 

YMCA Camp Shady Brook

Thank You For Celebrating National Thrive Outside Day

Thanks to our community partners and participants, Thrive Outside Day events were a success nationwide! Communities in Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Maine, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis and Twin Cities celebrated the transformative benefits of the outdoors through activities ranging from outdoor programming and skill development sessions to social media takeovers. See highlights from each event below.

 

ATLANTA: November 13th

Hosted in partnership with the city of Atlanta, Thrive Outside Day was hosted at Cliff Park and coincided with the local Outdoor Rec Festival. Over 200 people were in attendance!

Learn more about Thrive Outside Atlanta

 

 

GRAND RAPIDS: October 11 and 16th
Grand Rapids celebrated its new Gear Share Library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a day of outdoor activities and outdoor skill development using gear-share equipment from the library.
Learn more about Thrive Outside Grand Rapids

 

 

 

MAINE: October 9th
The Nature Based Education Consortium celebrated Thrive Outside Day virtually! They invited Mainers to share stories and pictures of the diverse ways they like to #ThriveOutside. See what they had to say and learn more about Thrive Outside Maine here.

 

 

 

OKLAHOMA CITY: October 2nd

Oklahoma City celebrated its Thrive Outside Day with kayaking activities, a Thrive Outside Kayak League race, nature-based activities and outdoor skill-development sessions.

Partners for the event and programming included RIVERSPORT Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County, Boy Scouts Last Frontier Council, OK State Parks, Scissortail Park and Threshold Climbing.  Learn more about Thrive Outside Oklahoma City

 

PHILADELPHIA: October 16th

Thrive Outside Greater Philadelphia partner Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership hosted National Thrive Outside Day 2021. Neighbors from the area gathered for a We Walk stroll on the Circuit Trail in Tacony Creek Park, a beautiful green space that follows the Tacony Creek on its way to the Delaware River. Participants bird-watched, looked for animal tracks, and learned about the trees that provide food and shelter for wildlife. After the walk, participants gathered over a healthy breakfast and enjoyed special outdoor giveaways.

Learn more about Thrive Outside Philadelphia

 

SAN DIEGO: October 9-10th
Hosted at Imperial Beach in partnership with US Fish and Wildlife, Thrive Outside Day in San Diego coincided with Walk for the Wild. Local youth participated in paddleboarding and leadership development events.

Learn more about Thrive Outside San Diego

 

 

ST. LOUIS: October 2nd
Hosted in partnership with Jack and Jill of America, the St. Louis Thrive Outside community embarked on a half-day canoe trip, culminating at the St. Louis riverfront in front of Gateway Arch National Park, where participants were greeted by local elected leaders.

Learn more about Thrive Outside St. Louis

 

 

TWIN CITIES: October 9th

Wilderness Inquiry, The Loppet Foundation and REI gathered to celebrate Thrive Outside Day on October 9th at Theodore Wirth Park – The Trailhead. Parkgoers were able to learn more about the Thrive Outside Initiative, and share their thoughts on the benefits of time spent in nature and how to best address the barriers that prevent equitable access to outdoor spaces and experiences.

Learn more about Thrive Outside Twin Cities

Greetings from the White House — Letter from OIA Executive Director Lise Aangeenbrug

Outdoor Industry Association Executive Director Lise Aangeenbrug and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Executive Director Jessica Turner

On Monday, I joined President Joe Biden and a group of bipartisan lawmakers and business leaders at the signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. I’m proud to say that OIA has been a key player every step along the way, ensuring that meaningful climate provisions and other projects important to our industry were included in this new law. We should be encouraged by its many provisions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, including wildfires, droughts and floods; to expand access to and improve our nation’s parks and trails; and to enhance our nature-based infrastructure.

Just as importantly, this bill will provide long overdue improvements to America’s core infrastructure – roads, bridges, ports and airports – which will help our $689 billion industry and 4.3 million employees deliver our products to consumers and connect people with parks and green spaces.

But our work is not done yet. As Congress continues to work on budget reconciliation, OIA is committed to working with lawmakers and the Biden administration to ensure that additional climate priorities – like funding for the Civilian Climate Corps, climate resiliency projects, outdoor restoration projects and the Department of Interior – are properly supported in the Build Back Better Act.

OIA’s advocacy and policy work would not be possible without the support of our members. Thank you for your continued engagement, and please do not hesitate to reach out about our policy priorities

Together We Are a Force,

Lise Aangeenbrug
OIA Executive Director

Audio Outdoorist: 2021 International Shipping Crisis

This is the second in our series about international trade and trade policy. In this episode, our director of government affairs Rich Harper and three members of our Trade Advisory Council, discuss the recent precipitous rise in shipping costs, which, on top of punitive tariffs, trade wars and the global pandemic, have made it difficult for our member companies to remain nimble and competitive. Recently, OIA sent a letter to the White House, calling on this administration to invite all stakeholders to the table to identify immediate solutions to the crisis and to enforce all existing regulations. In addition, we’re calling for support on legislation recently introduced in Congress to help alleviate the issues. To learn more about OIA’s advocacy work, to sign up for our trade alerts and to get involved in legislation to help outdoor companies address this crisis, reach out to Rich Harper, OIA Government Affairs Director.

National Thrive Outside Day is October 9

We all deserve to thrive outside. But research shows that serious equity barriers such as safety, walkability, transportation, cost and cultural inclusion, along with a rise in screen and indoor time, are leading us to become the world’s first indoor species, with devastating consequences for youth and their families.

To reverse the declining trend of outdoor engagement, we launched the Thrive Outside Initiative in 2019, which works at the grassroots level to empower communities to make outdoor recreation an accessible lifestyle for all. The Initiative awards multi-year, capacity-building grants to diverse communities to build and strengthen networks focused on providing children and families with repeat and reinforcing experiences in the outdoors. This national network is empowering communities to thrive outside in Atlanta, Grand Rapids, Maine, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, and the Twin Cities region. And over the coming years, we plan to grow the number of regions we’re investing in to 16.

The outdoors have been proven to provide myriad benefits to individuals and communities, including mental and physical health, youth development, environmental stewardship, community development and social justice. And now more than ever, access to the outdoors is critical. Our world is witnessing incredible upheaval, and Americans across the country are taking to the outdoors in search of respite from COVID-19. The Outdoor Foundation 2021 Participation Trends Report recorded that 7.1 million more Americans participated in outdoor recreation in 2020 than in the year prior, the highest participation rate ever recorded.

National Thrive Outside Day is about celebrating the transformative benefits of the outdoors, and ensuring that everyone has equitable access to outdoor spaces and experiences. Because we all thrive outside. Check out the Thrive Outside Day events happening in our eight Thrive Outside Communities below:

ATLANTA: November 13th
Hosted in partnership with the city of Atlanta, and located at Cliff Park, Thrive Outside Day in Atlanta will be coinciding with the local Outdoor Rec Festival. Learn more about Thrive Outside Atlanta

GRAND RAPIDS: October 11 and 16th
Grand Rapids with be celebrating its new Gear Share Library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 11th. On Oct. 16th, the community will gather together for a day of outdoor activities and outdoor skill development using gear-share equipment from the library. Learn more about Thrive Outside Grand Rapids

MAINE: October 9th
Tune into the Nature Based Education Consortium’s social media channels to see all the varied ways people are experiencing the outdoors in Maine. Together, we can shift the narrative. Learn more about Thrive Outside Maine

OKLAHOMA CITY: October 2nd
Coinciding with Oklahoma Regatta Festival, Oklahoma City will be celebrating its Thrive Outside Day with kayaking and a Thrive Outside Kayak League race, along with nature-based activities and skill-development sessions. Learn more about Thrive Outside Oklahoma City

PHILADELPHIA: October 16th
Hosted in Tacony Park in partnership with REI and other local partners, the Philly community with gather for tree planting and clean water education-based activities to celebrate Thrive Outside Day. Learn more about Thrive Outside Philadelphia

SAN DIEGO: October 9-10th
Hosted at Imperial Beach in partnership with US Fish and Wildlife, Thrive Outside Day in San Diego coincides with Walk for the Wild. Local youth will have the opportunity to participate in paddleboarding and leadership development events. Learn more about Thrive Outside San Diego

ST. LOUIS: October 2nd
Hosted in partnership with Jack and Jill of America, the St. Louis Thrive Outside community will embark on a half-day canoe trip, culminating at the St. Louis riverfront in front of Gateway Arch National Park, where participants will be greeted by local elected leaders. Learn more about Thrive Outside St. Louis

TWIN CITIES: October 9th
Hosted in partnership with The Loppet Foundation and REI at Theodore Wirth Park – The Trailhead, Thrive Outside Day in the Twin Cities region will connect with park goers about the Thrive Outside Initiative’s mission and work. The first 50 people to visit the Thrive Outside tent will receive an REI Nalgene® bottle. Learn more about Thrive Outside Twin Cities