Archives: Press Releases

Update on The Great Global CleanupTM in Response to COVID-19

 

Creating and sustaining clean communities is a vital mission of Earth Day Network and its Great Global Cleanup. At all times, the safety of dedicated organizers and volunteers is of the utmost importance.

 

To comply with federal, state and local advisories in response to COVID-19, thousands of organized cleanups will be impacted. Some will be cancelled for now, some postponed until later in the year, while others will move forward if they meet current safety criteria.

 

We urge all organizers to consult and comply with local and federal health advisories, and to practice social distancing and sanitary awareness at any cleanups deemed safe by authorities.

 

The stated goal of the Great Global Cleanup to remove billions of pieces of litter from our environment and to build a clean and healthy future for all people will remain. Many cleanups are expected to be rescheduled in early Fall, in coordination with World Cleanup Day, National CleanUp Day and Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup.

Please stay up to date on the status of all cleanups at cleanup.earthday.org, and please stay safe and take care of one another during these unprecedented circumstances.

La Sportiva, producers of the world’s finest mountain products since 1928, announces today that Howe Sound Sales has signed on to represent the brand in Western Canada, which includes British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories. Howe Sound Sales is an established sales agency with three passionate outdoor industry professionals. They currently also represent Rab, Lowe Alpine, Forsake, and Maxim ropes and maintain a showroom in Vancouver.

“Western Canada represents a continued opportunity for La Sportiva to grow the brand in communities that are dedicated to the mountains,” says Wes Green, vice president of sales and marketing at La Sportiva North America. “The Howe Sound team’s goal is to offer high levels of service, regional market insights and superior technical knowledge for both retailers and vendors. As individuals they are passionately involved in the technical sports that our brand represents. We are confident that this is the beginning of a successful partnership in a key geographic region for our brand.”

Howe Sound Sales is made up of Julian Stoddart as principal, Tom Wright as associate, and Nathan Pinchak as technical and events support. Julian and Tom manage sales and support throughout Western Canada operating in the Vancouver /Squamish area with a showroom in Vancouver. Nathan provides tech rep and event support in Eastern BC and Alberta.

According to Stoddart, “The opportunity to work with La Sportiva proved too big to pass up. The quality of the products along with the brand’s demonstrated ability to attain and hold a market leading position will bring a level of focus and security to our business as we look to scale for brand growth across La Sportiva’s core categories.”

In response to the escalating coronavirus outbreak, Stio asked all corporate employees to begin working remotely effective Friday March 13, 2020. This action was taken to ensure the safety of Stio employees, vendors and visiting office guests and as a proactive step to help slow the spread of the virus. At this time, Stio is planning to have employees work remotely for a minimum of 30 days and continue to do so until further notice as the situation is evaluated.

In addition, on March 13, 2020, Stio temporarily closed all three Stio Mountain Studio® retail stores, located in Jackson Hole and Teton Village, Wyoming, and Park City, Utah. The retail locations will remain closed until further notice. Stio’s ecommerce business, Stio.com, remains open for business and their distribution facility is strictly following CDC guidelines for cleanliness and transmission prevention.

“The health and safety of our employees, our customers and our communities are of the utmost importance right now,” said Stephen Sullivan, founder and CEO of Stio. “Although this is obviously a significant business challenge for almost every company in the world right now, it is most importantly a human issue, and any effort businesses can take to reduce person-to-person contact is imperative in the near term. We are fortunate that Stio is already well organized for remote work and we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust accordingly as it evolves. We can’t say thank you enough to our entire hard-working team and sincerely hope that everyone around the country works diligently to practice proper hygiene and social distancing for as long as it is necessary.”
 

At this time Stio is not aware of any confirmed cases of the coronavirus among its employees, at its headquarters, its Mountain Studio® retail locations or distribution facility. These measures were implemented out of an abundance of caution and in following with newly prescribed best practices.

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About Stio®

Headquartered in the heart of the Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Stio® was founded to inspire connection with the outdoors through beautiful, functional and innovative products infused with mountain soul. Stio’s mountain town style meets backcountry performance product is sold via Stio Mountain Studio® retail stores, Stio® catalogs and the Stio® website. stio.com

Balega International, a leading sock brand in the run specialty market, is expanding its popular Ultralight collection for Spring 2020 with the introduction of new colorways in the Crew and No Show models. The new styles will be available online and at specialty retail stores beginning March 15.

“The light-as-a-feather Ultralight sock is specifically designed to provide contoured protection and lasting durability that feels sheer and light on your foot,” explained Tanya Pictor, Vice President of Marketing for Balega. “Balega is committed to providing athletes with a sock that’s built to last and perform. Our fresh new colorways offer our customers bright, fun new options for Spring.”

The Ultralight Crew ($15 MSRP) combines fine performance yarns with protection-based design to create the sheerest, most lightweight performance running sock. The socks feature Balega’s proprietary Drynamix® moisture wicking fibers and reinforced microfiber mesh ventilation panels to keep feet cool and dry. The enhanced, strategically shaped cushioning that follows the contours of the heel provides maximum protection and impact resistance. In the updated crew length style, the cushioning also reaches higher over the toe area for increased comfort and durability, while the differentiated elastic bands provide compression and a superior fit. Unique to all Balega products, these socks feature a hand-linked toe closure system for a seamless, non-irritating fit. The new Spring 2020 colorways for the Ultralight Crew include: Neon Lime, Wildberry and Cobalt.

The Ultralight No Show ($14 MSRP) sock will be available in all new bright spring colorways, including Flu Orange, Neon Lime, Wildberry and Cobalt.

The new Ultralight styles will be available to consumers March 15, 2020. For more information and to locate a Balega dealer near you, please visit Balega.com.

About Balega International


A leading performance sock brand in the run specialty market, Balega is a designer and manufacturer of technical performance socks and part of the Implus family of brands. With a proud American-South African initiative, the company develops its product in both South Africa and North Carolina production facilities utilizing the best performance yarns produced in the United States. Crafted for a superior fit and unmatched comfort, Balega is committed to the technical excellence, quality, and performance expected in the Balega brand. A brand with ‘sole,’ Balega prides itself on its commitment to the community with projects aimed at enriching those less fortunate than ourselves. For more information, please visit www.balega.com.

About Implus International

A leading performance sock brand in the run specialty market, Balega is a designer and manufacturer of technical performance socks and part of the Implus family of brands. With a proud American-South African initiative, the company develops its products in both South Africa and North Carolina production facilities utilizing the best performance yarns produced in the United States. Crafted for a superior fit and unmatched comfort, Balega is committed to the technical excellence, quality, and performance expected from the Balega brand. For more information, visit www.implus.com.

February 20, 2020 (BOULDER, Colo.) – La Sportiva, makers of the world’s finest mountain footwear, today announces that climber Brooke Raboutou joins the La Sportiva ambassador team. Effective immediately, Raboutou will exclusively wear La Sportiva footwear while training and climbing. Raboutou is a lifelong climber who qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics via the Climbing World Championships. This is the first time that climbing will be contested in the Olympics and Raboutou is one of two American females to qualify for the US Team.

“Climbing in the Olympics is a significant milestone for our sport and I am honored to represent the US in Tokyo this summer” says Raboutou, who is currently taking a semester off from college to train full-time in her hometown of Boulder, CO. “I’ve been climbing since before I can remember and I have always worn La Sportiva climbing shoes so it seems natural to continue my partnership with the La Sportiva team and wear their top-performing shoes while I compete. I am very excited to embark on the journey ahead.”

Raboutou was born in Boulder, Colorado and her parents Didier Raboutou and Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou are former world-champion rock climbers. Brooke learned the sport and trained at ABC Climbing in Colorado. She became the youngest person to climb 5.14b at the age of 11 and won a prestigious Golden Piton award from Climbing magazine for the effort. She awon numerous indoor climbing competitions on her rise to qualifying for the 2020 Olympics via her ninth-place finish at the combined Climbing World Championships.

“Competitive climbing is booming and the summer Olympics will put the sport in the spotlight more than any other single event” says Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America. “We’ve known Brooke and her parents for many years and are so proud to see her qualify for the Olympics. We look forward to watching her compete on the sport’s biggest stage while wearing our products and we wish her the best in her training and preparation leading up to the competition.”

For more information or to request a media interview with Brooke Raboutou, please contact Cory Lowe at Cory.Lowe@BackboneMedia.net or 970-963-4873, ext. 127.

LEM Helmets, manufacturer of innovative, stylish, and performance head protection for cycling and motorsports, today announces its partnership with the world-class Polygon UR Enduro Race Team. The international pro team just wrapped-up solid performances at Crankworx Rotorua, and will be competing at events around the globe including: TDS Enduro, the Enduro World Series, and Crankworx Whistler, plus others. The team will be wearing LEM’s Flow helmet for competitions and training, and will work with the LEM team on future product development in the mountain bike and gravity categories.

“The riders – and everyone associated with the UR Team – are an amazing and influential crew – both on and off the bike. From the team’s high-level riding to the creative content they produce to their authenticity, we’re excited and looking forward to a great partnership,” said Keith Cozzens, LEM’s Global Brand Marketing Director. “The UR Team is out there doing it and knows the best gear, so engaging with them on product development and testing will be an asset as our partnership grows into the future.”

The trio of Enduro Team riders includes: master shredder Dan Wolfe, smooth operator and team manager Fabien Cousinié, and grom ripper Vinci Vodan.

Check out the UR Team video: HERE.     

The team will wear LEM’s lightweight, comfy, and cooling-ventilated Flow MTB helmet for a majority of the season until a collection of new gravity-inspired helmets are available. New products are slated to launch in late summer. The new helmets will deepen the brand’s mountain bike offerings, and include collaborative design and feature efforts from the UR Team riders.

“At UR Team, we are really excited to start working with LEM Helmets. The company has amazing knowledge in helmet technology, and it’s exciting times to be able to help develop the best products that can benefit the most riders possible,” said Cousinié. “LEM’s current Flow helmet is our favorite trail helmet that we use everyday for training and also for our long-distance races. Keep an eye open for what is coming up – the future is exciting!”

For more about the Polygon UR Team, check: HERE.

For more about LEM Helmets, check:

Instagram: @LEMHelmets

Facebook: @LEMHelmets

YouTube: LEM Helmets

About LEM Helmets

Built on a legacy of innovation, LEM gives riders the peace of mind that comes from knowing their helmet has more than 45 years of safety technology woven into its design. Its approach to product-talk highlights the joy of riding, while tech clearly and confidently compliments the conversation. After all, the purpose of tech is so riders can focus on getting after it. LEM is a lifestyle fueled by the simple belief that life is more fun on a bike. We are on a mission to help riders – novice and seasoned – get the most out of life on two wheels. With clean silhouettes and colorways in the road, mountain bike, commuter, and kids categories, LEM focuses on safety, style, comfort, and performance. LEM inspires you to find your everyday ‘Hell-Yes’ moments. For more: lemhelmets.com.

 

The Alliance Welcomes Environmentally Conscious Bank at Highest Membership Tier

Bank of the West joins The Conservation Alliance as a Pinnacle Member, joining the organization’s effort to fund and collaborate with grassroots conservation organizations in North America. Bank of the West is the first bank to join The Conservation Alliance and the seventh Pinnacle Member of the organization.

Bank of the West’s initiatives align with The Conservation Alliance’s values and mission to protect North America’s wild places, exemplified in policies that restrict the financing of fossil fuels, big tobacco, palm oil and other activities harmful to the planet. Additionally, Bank of the West has committed $1 billion to finance clean, efficient, and renewable energy projects.

In an effort to advance land and water conservation, San Francisco-based Bank of the West initiated membership conversations with The Conservation Alliance in August 2019.  During a six-month vetting process, The Conservation Alliance staff and board reviewed Bank of the West’s policies to ensure the relationship would be in sync with the organization’s mission and funding priorities. The Alliance concluded their due-diligence in January, and announced Bank of the West as a new Pinnacle Member during Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show in Denver, Colorado.

Bank of the West is the first Pinnacle Member to join The Conservation Alliance since 2012.  Other Alliance Pinnacle Member companies include Patagonia, The North Face, Merrell, REI, Clif Bar and KEEN.  The Conservation Alliance aims to grow its grant fund to exceed $2 million in 2020. The Pinnacle Membership program is a key strategy toward reaching that goal.

“The Conservation Alliance was founded and is led by the outdoor industry, but we know there are other like-minded companies, in other industries, that want to help us achieve a bigger vision,” said Hans Cole, Chairman of The Conservation Alliance Board and Director of Environmental Campaigns and Advocacy at Patagonia. “Bank of the West is the type of business we hope to attract as we expand our alliance into new industries: they have a powerful voice and they are taking meaningful actions to protect our threatened wild places.”   

“This is the decade to reverse climate change. Banking decisions can play a key role in the solution,” said Ben Stuart, Chief Marketing Officer at Bank of the West. “At Bank of the West, we are making bold choices about what we do and don’t finance on behalf of the environment, and we are teaming up with organizations, like Conservation Alliance, that are taking action to protect our planet.”

“We were impressed by Bank of the West’s decision to withdraw support for companies that are detrimental to our environment,” said Brady Robinson, Executive Director at The Conservation Alliance. “It is rare to see this level of commitment from a financial institution and we are proud to welcome them as a new member.”

The Conservation Alliance, which makes grants to grassroots organizations working to protect wild lands and waters throughout North America, aims to grow its grant fund to exceed $2 million in 2020. The Pinnacle Membership program is a key strategy toward reaching that goal. 

About Bank of the West

At Bank of the West, we know money deposited in a bank has the power to finance positive change. So we are taking action to ensure our activities help protect the planet, improve people’s lives, and strengthen communities. We are redefining banking for a better future by focusing on areas where we believe we can have a real impact: supporting energy transition, helping enable women entrepreneurs, and financing innovative start-ups. As the bank for a changing world, Bank of the West is committed to sustainable finance along with our parent company BNP Paribas. Through Digital Channels and offices across the U.S., Bank of the West provides financial tools and resources to more than 2 million individuals, families and businesses.

© 2020 Bank of the West. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Doing business in South Dakota as Bank of the West California.

About The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of like-minded businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas throughout North America. Membership in the Alliance is open to all companies who care about protecting our most threatened wild places for habitat and outdoor recreation. Since its inception in 1989, The Conservation Alliance has contributed more than $23 million, awarded more than 700 grants, helped to protect more than 73 million acres of wildlands; protect 3,575 miles of rivers; stop or remove 35 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 17 climbing areas. For complete information about The Conservation Alliance, visit www.conservationalliance.com.

GERBER, an industry-leading manufacturer of knives and multi-tools, today launched a new customization program featuring several of the brand’s best-selling knives. Made in Portland, Ore., the Fastball, StrongArm, Sharkbelly and US-1 will be among the first knives customers can design using a robust library of lasermarks, handle materials, patterns and blade shapes.

“At Gerber, we know better than anyone that pocket knives are personal. We carry them everyday, and both craftsmanship and utility are paramount. Gerber Custom empowers users to take part in the creation process, pairing the precise engineering and reliable quality of our bestselling knives with a unique aesthetic,” said Todd Bischoff, creative director at Gerber.

Knife makers curate their experience by choosing between customization and personalization. Customization offers an infinite combination of handle materials, colors, patterns and blade shapes with hundreds of illustrations, like landscapes, military insignias, flora and fauna, and more. Personalization offers visitors lasermarked illustration and personal text in a variety of fonts.

While the options for customization are endless, the price reflects Gerber’s commitment to providing premium, highly functional tools at an honest value. All of Gerber’s customized and personalized knives are made, assembled, and lasermarked at their headquarters in Portland.

“A person’s daily carry knife is nearly part of their identity – it says something about them,” said Karrson Koivisto, product manager for knives and cutting tools at Gerber. “A knife’s design and functionality are foundational, but layering on the capacity to select how every single component looks takes great products to the next level. That’s what Gerber Custom is about—helping consumers step up their daily carry in a way that authentically suits them.”

Gerber Custom, newly opened in March, can be found at www.gerbergear.com/custom. To date, the Fastball is available for customization and the StrongArm, Sharkbelly, and US-1 are available to personalize, with more products scheduled for later this year.

About Gerber: Gerber is a leading global supplier of activity specific knives, multi-tools and problem-solving gear. Built on the pillars of craftsmanship, innovation, and an unrelenting commitment to quality and service to others, the trusted brand features a diverse portfolio of equipment for recreational and professional end users. For more information please visit www.gerbergear.com.

2020 local and national grant recipients announced

 FERNDALE, Wash. (March 10, 2020) – Superfeet, a 100% employee-owned company, continues to build on its commitment to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Each year, the company donates 1% of sales and more than 1000 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations working tirelessly to make the world a better place.

In alignment with the company’s purpose to shape strong foundations, and their vision to bring out the awesome in everyone, it seemed a natural fit to announce this year’s Superfeet grant recipients today, March 10^th, universally recognized as the official International Day of Awesomeness. 

 
Superfeet is proud to partner with the following national 2020 grantees, all who exhibit awesomeness day in and day out by doing important work with far-reaching impact:

• Fisher House | Fisher House provides free temporary housing for military families with loved ones in medical care.
• The Conservation Alliance | The Conversation Alliance works to protect and restore wild places throughout North America for their habitat and recreational uses.
• Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra | This organization works to make the outdoors more accessible by offering year-round outdoor sports and activities to children and adults with disabilities.
• Our Hearts to Your Soles | Provides homeless individuals with free essential foot care, new socks and warm winter boots via a series of nationwide events.
• Medical Teams International |  Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for communities in crisis around the globe.
• Camp Corral | Weeklong transformative summer camp experiences for children of wounded, injured, ill or fallen military heroes.

The company also looks to make an outsized impact close to home, awarding grants to organizations based in the Pacific Northwest, home to Superfeet headquarters for more than 40 years.

A complete list of the local grant recipients can be viewed here.  

“We continue to pursue ways to ‘be the awesome we want to see in the world,’ whether that’s through partnerships with national organizations, financial support via local grants or by rolling up our sleeves to volunteer in the community,”  says Linda Balfour, VP of Marketing for Superfeet Worldwide. “On this International Day of Awesomeness, we’re proud to announce our commitments to these awesome organizations.”

The Superfeet corporate giving program supports organizations that do work in at least one of four categories, all of them essential tools for a strong foundation:

1.     Basic needs
2.     Protecting the environment
3.     Self-confidence and pride through activity
4.     Education

To learn more about how Superfeet purchases make a difference in locations near and far, visit the Superfeet giving page. Tune in for updates on our celebration of International Day of Awesomeness on Instagram and Facebook: @Superfeet.

 

ABOUT SUPERFEET: For more than 40 years, Pacific Northwest-based Superfeet has been creating innovative products featuring the Superfeet® shape, helping millions of people worldwide experience unparalleled comfort, pain relief and performance. Today, through Fitstation and the latest advancements in 3D-printing technology, Superfeet is taking insoles and footwear from mass-produced products to personalized, made-for-you solutions. A 100% employee-owned company, Superfeet gives 1% of sales and countless volunteer hours to help others shape a strong foundation for a healthy future. For more, visit superfeet.com.

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Great American Outdoors Act includes critical outdoor recreation infrastructure bill and full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 09, 2020 – Today, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) members lauded the Senate for introducing a bipartisan bill, the Great American Outdoors Act, that prioritizes the $20 billion maintenance backlog facing our public lands and waters and finally fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). It includes the Restore Our Parks Act (ROPA), which would help improve key outdoor recreation related facilities like docks, restrooms, campgrounds, trails, roads and more – many of which have needed updating or repairs for years. 

ORR members led the extraordinary effort to ensure the inclusion of other agencies, beyond the National Park Service, in this legislation. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), among many others, the U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will receive maintenance backlog funding. We are thrilled with this outcome that will ensure adequate infrastructure for all types of recreation on our public lands and waters can support rural communities and economies. 

LWCF funds can be a lifeline for communities in need of recreation access to local, state and national parks, wildlife habitats, working forests and more. This important program has only been funded at the fully authorized amount of $900 million twice in history. This bill would achieve the decades-long goal of fully and permanently funding LWCF into the future while allowing for more recreation access projects on local, state and federal lands that will support a thriving outdoor recreation economy for years to come. 

Infrastructure – especially solving the agencies’ deferred maintenance needs and expanding access for all forms of outdoor recreation – is the main issue that brought ORR together and unites our dozens of sectors. ORR members have worked tirelessly over the years educating leaders in Washington, D.C. and other outdoor recreation partners in order to get both of these key recreation bills to this point. Our strong membership will not stop their work on behalf of all outdoor recreation enthusiasts until this measure is signed into law. 

“Today is a huge step for outdoor recreationists, the industry and the $778 billion outdoor recreation economy,” said Jessica Wahl, executive director of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “We have supported these issues for a long time and are thrilled to see movement on them as they will help to further fuel the outdoor recreation economy across the country. We appreciate the sponsors’ dedication to these bills and the huge outpouring of support from ORR members and partners to achieve the inclusion of BLM, USFS, and FWS in the Great American Outdoors Act.” 

“Nearly 13 million American families and households use the nation’s trails to ride horses and will benefit from robust trail maintenance programs. The horse industry supports passage of the Restore Our Parks Act (S. 500) and Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (S. 1081) to enrich the outdoor experience for the country’s recreational riders,” said Julie Broadway, president of the American Horse Council. “The American Horse Council (AHC) applauds the leadership of Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) for introducing a bipartisan package that combines these two important measures that will improve access to America’s trails.” 

“America’s public lands are at the root of the multibillion-dollar outdoor economy. It is critical that our country invest in addressing backlogged maintenance at our national parks, as well as our other federal lands, in order to ensure these shared spaces are accessible for Americans and visitors to enjoy,” saidMary Ellen Sprenkel, President and CEO of The Corps Network. “The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a critical funding stream and passing the Restore Our Parks Act would be a significant step towards ensuring our national parks get the attention they need. In addition, however, we encourage the Senate to consider means to address deferred maintenance at such agencies as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The young adults enrolled in America’s Service and Conservation Corps stand ready to assist resource managers in restoring our public lands.” 

“Some of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse areas are found underwater in National Parks such as Biscayne National Park in Florida and the Channel Islands National Park in California”, said Tom Ingram, President & CEO at The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association. “Divers observe firsthand this amazing diversity, and want to preserve these submerged resources, including historic shipwrecks and war monuments. The recreational diving community and the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) fully support the passage of S. 500, the Restore Our Parks Act.We urgently ask for your support in passing this important legislation which will ensure access to these incredible submerged resources for generations to come, while supporting local economies and building healthy communities.” 

“The Land Water Conservation Fund and the Restore our Parks Act are essential to increasing access to the public lands and resources our industry depends on,” said Marine Retailers Association of the Americas President, Matt Gruhn. “The over $30 billion backlog in federal conservation projects, and upwards of $11 billion backlog in maintenance and repair projects in our National Parks, significantly affect rural economies, and recreational boaters’ and anglers’ ability to take part in the activities they enjoy. We thank Senators Gardner and Manchin for supporting our industry and ask Congress to fully fund these important programs.” 

“Maintaining our public lands is critical for continued access to recreation for motorcycles, ATVs and ROVs (sometimes called side-by-sides),” said Scott Schloegel, Senior Vice President, Government Relations at the Motorcycle Industry Council. “We commend the authors for including Forest Service and BLM lands in the bill. Proper maintenance is critical for responsible management of riding areas and healthy public lands.” 

“With such a large, bipartisan group of elected officials coming together in support of legislation that makes a significant investment in our public lands and waters, it is abundantly clear that the outdoor recreation industry, led by boating and fishing, has earned our seat at the decision making table and we’re here to stay,” said Nicole Vasilaros, senior vice president of government and legal affairs at the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Without raising a dime in new taxes, this bill will repair, restore, and protect our cherished recreation resources for generations to come. There are no good reasons for Congress to delay its passage one more day.”

“Concessioners have helped park visitors enjoy great experiences for more than a century. We believe the nation should demonstrate a new and enduring commitment to connecting all Americans with their parks and other Great Outdoors places – a commitment that includes elimination of a chronic maintenance shortfall and of inadequate places and infrastructure to host the visits of our growing population,” said Scott Socha, chair of the National Park Hospitality Association. “We applaud today’s action by Senate champions and the Administration on the Restore Our Parks Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. 2020 is an appropriate year for visionary action – great clarity for steps that will make park visits safer, more enjoyable and providing economic sustainability to gateway communities across the nation.”

“Today marks a milestone achievement for the Outdoor Industry Association and outdoor enthusiasts across the country,” said Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director of Outdoor Industry Association.“Our shared public lands and waters are the foundation of the huge and growing outdoor recreation economy, and we are thrilled to see our elected officials coming together in a bi-partisan way to deliver on full funding for LWCF and to commit sustainable funding to address the maintenance backlogs in our national parks. Both of these efforts will go a long way in continuing to grow the outdoor economy and assisting our continued effort to get more Americans into the outdoors.”

“The Restore Our Parks Act offers innovative solutions and sustainable funding that will address the deferred-maintenance backlog on federal lands, which is critical to improving and expanding national campgrounds,” said Craig Kirby, RV Industry Association President. “Campgrounds on federal lands are currently showing distressing signs of wear: crumbling roads and bridges; deferred maintenance needs; and limited camping availability, jeopardizing not only the RV industry but the entire outdoor recreation industry. We are encouraged by the support of this legislation and ask Congress to pass this bill without delay.”

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