On Dec. 23, 2021, President Biden signed into law legislation that will place additional restrictions on imports of goods made with forced labor from the Xinjian region in China.
Continue reading
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.
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:
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
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
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.
Presented by:
Lewis Roca, law firm
Join us for a discussion on common pitfalls for the use, ownership and licensing of copyrightable works. The focus of this webinar will be on the use of online images, the associated legal risks and the best ways to manage that risk.
OIA was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our former Vice President of Government Affairs, Patricia Rojas-Ungar. She was a passionate and inspiring advocate for the outdoors and our members and she will be sorely missed.
A long-time government affairs executive and devoted wife and mother, Patricia passed away in Washington, DC, on August 26, 2021. She was 47 years old.
Alma Patricia Rojas-Ungar was born December 2, 1973, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to Elvira Guerra and Jaime Rojas. Patricia earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Houston in 2001.
Early in her career, Patricia worked helping children in Brazil, then continued on in Houston working with inner-city youth at I Have a Dream-Houston as a project coordinator. Her interest and passion for the public sector led her to work in both the United States Congress and Senate, followed by a successful career spanning 20 years in lobbying and government affairs where she advocated on behalf of issues close to her heart. She held senior roles in The U.S. Travel Association and the Outdoor Industry Association and most recently was a vice president at Strategic Marketing Innovations, Inc.
Patricia’s efforts earned her recognition as a top lobbyist from The Hill, Washingtonian Magazine, CEO Update and Association Trends. In 2011, she was named by the Washingtonian as one of DC’s Top 40 Under 40.
“During her time at OIA, Patricia brought a clear passion for advocacy to work every day, and it’s no wonder she was recognized by her colleagues in D.C. as a top lobbyist,” said OIA Director of Government Affairs Rich Harper.
We grieve with family, friends and colleagues and send our condolences to her husband and children.
Donations in Patricia’s memory can be made to a GoFundMe to support her children and to the UN Refugee Agency.
You can read her full obituary here.
Hear from OIA’s Director of Policy, Rich Harper, and members of the OIA Trade Advisory Council (OIATAC) as they discuss the council’s important policy role. In this conversation, Rich is joined by:
OIATAC reviews U.S. trade policy, relevant federal legislation and international trade negotiations, develops federal trade policy that may affect OIA membership and recommends policy positions to OIA government affairs staff and OIA leadership. It is made up of OIA members engaged in the business of manufacturing, marketing, and/or distributing outdoor recreation products. It includes representatives from small, medium and large entities representing all segments of the industry, including manufacturing, importers and retailers. OIATAC is administered and supported by OIA government affairs staff. Learn more about OIATAC here.
Subscribe to OIA’s Audio Outdoorist and listen to the full episode and other episodes anytime, anywhere. You can find the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud
Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-2nd) speaks with OIA’s Director of Policy, Rich Harper, to discuss his recently introduced Civilian Climate Corps proposal, which has been included in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. Neguse also talks about his Parks, Jobs and Equity Act, which would invest millions of dollars into urban parks, creating thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars in local economic growth. Rich and the Congressman talk about the industry’s role in passing these measures and why this session might be our best shot and getting the bills through Congress and to the President’s desk.
Subscribe to OIA’s Audio Outdoorist and listen to the full episode and other episodes anytime, anywhere. You can find the podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud
We urge you to express your support for a bill to create an Outdoor Equity Grant Program in Colorado: HB21-1318. If enacted, the program will connect more Colorado youth and their families to the benefits of our state’s public lands and will be funded by portions of lottery money that are currently allocated to the state’s general fund.
The bill just passed the state House and will be making its way through the state Senate soon, so please contact your state senator and urge them to co-sponsor and vote YES on HB21-1318.
If you are not based in Colorado, please share this with your networks in Colorado.
