COVID-19 Webinar: Overcoming Challenges: Collecting in the Outdoor Industry Amidst a Global Crisis

When: Tuesday, June 9, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Speakers: Leah Skye, Dan Grenemyer and Mike Welliver from Altus

With premature mountain resort and retail closures and the outdoor industry at an unexpected halt, join North America’s largest B2B receivables management firm for an educational webinar offering guidance to assist you with staying ahead of collection issues on the horizon. Creditors are now faced with the difficult decision of either shouldering a potentially disastrous financial burden or pushing their customers for payment and jeopardizing relationships that took years to cultivate. As we navigate through these unprecedented times, we need to adapt to a quickly changing financial climate. Unfortunately, many small businesses lack the cash reserves to make it to the other side of this crisis, so we want to give you the tools to stay ahead of what’s to come. Open to all. Active OIA membership not required.

COVID-19 Webinar: From the Inside Out: Transitioning Retail Experiences to Keep Shoppers Safe

When: Tuesday, May 26, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Speaker: Chris Hogue, LiveArea

Influenced by evolving safety procedures and changing attitudes about in-store experiences, smart retailers are looking at new ways to engage customers. For now at least, the days of meandering up and down store aisles are over. The trick will be to help shoppers get in and out quickly – or help them to shop without stepping foot inside. Even as stores reopen there’s a surge of investment in fulfillment tactics like buy online, pick-up in store and curbside pickup.

How do you go about implementing these and other engagement alternatives? How much time and investment is required? Get answers from Chris Hogue, head of strategy and product for LiveArea, a global commerce experience agency that works with hundreds of retail brands around the world. Find out how the agency has helped clients transform retail experiences in a time of great disruption and digital opportunity.

Sign on Letter: Supporting the Outdoor Recreation Economy and Recovery

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker, United States House of Representatives
1236 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader, United States House of Representatives
2468 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader, United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building</br
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Charles Schumer
Minority Leader, United States Senate
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Re: Supporting the outdoor recreation economy and recovery of individuals, communities, and outdoor companies in any upcoming pandemic response legislation

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leaders McCarthy, McConnell and Schumer:

Our outdoor recreation economy generates $887 billion in consumer spending and 7.6 million jobs annually. The outdoor industry comprises 2.2 percent of the United States GDP and, prior to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, was growing faster than the economy. In addition, communities with access to outdoor recreation assets like trails, waterways, and parks of all types are attracting and retaining business investments, as more and more businesses rely on quality of life to attract employees.

Our system of parks and public lands being open for public use is critical for small and large retailers and outdoor businesses, along with the supply chain that serves them. Plus, these natural places bring quality of life to communities across the nation. Every part of this system has been interrupted by COVID-19, impacting the health and wellness of individuals, companies, and communities.

Outdoor Industry Association and our 1,300 member companies write to ask for your support for including provisions that will aid economic recovery for the outdoor industry and communities across the country in any upcoming rounds of pandemic economic response legislation.

Thank you for the actions you have already taken to support these businesses through the CARES Act. Many of our members were able to access CARES programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program that bought them some badly needed time, but their fates hinge in large part on the ability of their current and potential customers to get back outside.

As we look to recovery in the months ahead, more needs to be done to help our communities and the outdoor industry recover from the current economic shock through investments in recreation infrastructure which will provide more opportunities for all Americans to get outside. The last few weeks have shown that millions of Americans depend upon outdoor recreation opportunities for health and wellness. Now more than ever, we need the mental and physical health benefits that getting outside can provide. Investing in outdoor infrastructure as part of our economic recovery efforts will provide a powerful return for all Americans.

Specifically, we would like your support for the following:

Permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and funding for the maintenance backlog across federal public lands: Pass the Great American Outdoors Act, which would finalize bipartisan and bicameral legislation that provides dedicated funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and resources to reduce the maintenance backlog on our public lands. This funding will have a long-term economic impact and will increase the visitor experience – a needed benefit for local tourism. Investing in LWCF has proven to double its investment in local economies and create thousands of jobs. Congress was close to passing this legislation due to extraordinarily broad bipartisan support. It makes even more sense now, with the public demand for outdoor recreation during the pandemic and with the economic, social, and health benefits that recreating outdoors provides.

Include permit streamlining: We support incorporating the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act (H.R. 787/S.1665) and the Recreation Not Red-Tape Act (H.R. 3458/S. 1967) into any legislative stimulus package. Streamlining the federal permitting system is important to the health of the guiding and outfitting communities, which have been financially harmed by the ongoing pandemic. These bills would provide more access to outdoor recreation for millions of Americans who annually enjoy the outdoors via guided adventures. By reducing current regulatory red tape, guides and outfitters will more easily kick-start local tourism once Americans are able to access public lands.

Fund active transportation: We appreciate your commitment to infrastructure as an economic growth opportunity and, in doing so, would encourage you to include provisions that would increase funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This type of funding helps local economies and provides people with safe, environmentally sensitive, and low-cost forms of transportation and recreation. We support the Transportation Alternatives Program and the Recreational Trails Program (among others) and are hopeful that any additional infrastructure funding would significantly increase funding levels for these important economic drivers.

Increased funding/expansion of Civilian Conservation Corps: Additional funding for expansion of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) will provide a combination of jobs for Americans and restoration and stewardship of our public lands. The program could be further expanded to reach more youth and more outdoor places and to include opportunities on state lands. This program could immediately be brought to scale to meet the needs of recently unemployed workers from various affected industries. The CCC could be rapidly deployed via existing cooperative agreements with federal agencies and state and local agencies.

Funding to states and local municipalities for building parks, trails, and other outdoor recreation amenities in underserved and under-resourced communities: Local and state tax revenues are significantly declining, yet the public needs local services. With the need to recreate close to home for health and wellness, the majority of Americans need access to parks, trails, and open spaces within a 10-minute walk or drive of their homes. This type of program is badly needed to help address the current inequities surrounding those who live near and reap the benefits of outdoor recreation, trail, and natural areas – and those who do not.

Prioritize policies to reduce carbon emissions: In consideration of transportation, energy, and infrastructure provisions, we would encourage you to use the opportunity to ensure policies are in place to reduce carbon emissions. Our industry relies on a healthy environment for those who love the outdoors to experience it to the fullest. Green infrastructure solutions not only sequester carbon and help mitigate the worst impacts of future natural disasters but also serve as places to recreate. We ask that you take a long-term view and work to ensure stewardship of our lands and oceans for future generations to enjoy.

As Congress moves forward with response and helping with the recovery from the ongoing pandemic and its economic impacts, we ask that you consider the critical role our public lands and the opportunities for outdoor recreation play in our country’s recovery. Together, we can help make a meaningful contribution to pandemic recovery efforts.

Sincerely,

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Lise Aangeenbrug
Executive Director
Outdoor Industry Association

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Michael West
CEO
686 Technical Apparel Co.

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Matt Wade
Advocacy & Policy Director
American Mountain Guides Association

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Chris Valiante
Owner
22 Designs

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Clay Haller
President
Advanced Elements, Inc.

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Penn Newhard
Founder/Partner
Backbone Media

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Tim Koehler
Chief Financial Officer
Backpacker’s Pantry

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Tag Kleiner
VP of Marketing
Far Bank Enterprises
(Sage, Redington, RIO Products, Fly Water Travel)

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Craig Mackey
Principal
Mackey Partners, LLC

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Bill Gamber
President and Co-Founder
Big Agnes

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David Koorits
Co-Founder
Good To-Go

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Matthew McClain
Executive Director
Mammoth Lakes Recreation

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Brad Werntz
President
Boulders Climbing Gym

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Matt Holmes
Executive Director
Groundwork Richmond

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John Wentworth
CEO/Board President
Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation

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Jenn Swain
Global Senior Sustainability Manager
Burton

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Larry Witt
President of Housewares (Hydro Flask & OXO)
Helen of Troy

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David Dragoo
Founder
Mayfly Outdoors

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Ali Kenney
SVP – Global Strategy & Insights
Burton

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Alyssa Ravasio
Founder & CEO
Hipcamp

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Bob Mignogna
President
Mignogna Consulting, Inc.

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Matt Lyon
Board Chair
California Outdoor Recreation Partnership

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John Kirk
Director of Communications
International Sportsmen’s Expos

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Cam Brensinger
CEO & Founder
NEMO Equipment, Inc.

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Peter Bragdon
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel
Columbia

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Jeff Turner
Director of Sales
Kokatat, Inc.

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Chris McKleroy
CEO
Nocs Provisions

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David Feinman
Government Affairs Director
Conservation Lands Foundation

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Rhonda Swenson
CEO
Krimson Klover

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Drew Saunders
Country Manager
Oberalp North America

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Coral Darby
Founder
Darby Communications

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Shawn Gorman
Executive Chairman
L.L.Bean

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Chris Rischke
Director of Operations
Oboz Footwear

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Jennifer Pelkey
Sr. Marketing Director
Outdoor Retailer

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Brian Cox
President
Lightspeed Outdoors

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Louis Geltman
Policy Director
Outdoor Alliance

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Rose Marcario
President and CEO
Patagonia

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Nick Sargent
President
Snowsports Industries America

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Fred Ferguson
VP, Public Affairs and Communications
Vista Outdoor

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Jenn Dice
Chief Operating Officer
PeopleForBikes

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Jennifer Savage
California Policy Manager
Surfrider Foundation

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Ashley Korenblat
CEO
Western Spirit Cycling

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Tom Adams
COO
Petzel America

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Michael Stewart
Founder/Director of Partnerships
Sustainable Surf

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Todd Walton
Executive Director
Winter Wildlands Alliance

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Eric Artz
President and CEO
REI Co-op

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David Polivy
CEO
Tahoe Mountain Sports

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Ryan Martin
CEO
Yakima Products, Inc.

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Wendy M. Carey
VP/CFO
Seirus Innovative Accessories, Inc.

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Brady Robinson
Executive Director
The Conservation Alliance

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Craig Flax
Founder/President
Youth Transportation Organization (Yoots)

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Steven Frisch
President
Sierra Business Council

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Arne Arens
Brand President
The North Face

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Steven Frisch
President
Sierra Business Council

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Gordon Seabury
CEO
Toad&Co

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Tony Post
CEO & Founder
Topo Athletic

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Ben Christensen
Vice President, Operations
Simms Fishing Products

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Brian Vargo
President/CEO
Vargo Outdoors, Inc.

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Ben Warner
President
Skeleton Key Agency/Coast Film Festival

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Steve Rendle
Chairman, President and CEO
VF Corp

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Seraph White
Interim Executive Director
Outdoors Empowered Network

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Kristin Hostetter
Editor In Chief
SNEWS | The Voice

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Jon Jay
Digital Content Editor
SKI Magazine

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Tori Peglar
Co-Brand and Content Director
National Parks Trips

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Andrea Kupfer
VP, Managing Director
Catapult Creative Labs

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Thrive Outside Atlanta: Connecting With the Outdoors During COVID-19

In its first year, The Outdoor Foundation’s Thrive Outside Community Initiative has made multi-year grants to four regions across the country (San Diego, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Grand Rapids) to build and strengthen networks focused on providing children and families with repeat and reinforcing experiences in the outdoors. Our communities are finding unique ways to positively impact their communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

We’re proud to share the ways one Thrive Outside Atlanta organization, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, are continuing to connect with and serve their local youth.

 

 

“Providing accessible, sensory-based, outdoor programming through technology”

With a curriculum that typically encourages the use of our senses for learning and exploring, shifting to online curriculum initially seemed to be a daunting task for us at West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA).

At WAWA, we believe that the power of play, inquiry instruction, social constructivism and cultural relevance are foundational principles of environmental education pedagogy. We quickly identified a crossroads between our pedagogy and technology in order to offer sensory-based livestreams in lieu of O-ACADEMY, our spring break camp.

When developing content for digital audiences in response to COVID-19, there were a few important factors to consider including digital accessibility, exercises that can be completed outdoors, and sensory-based engagement with youth. Because some residents in our community struggle with access to technology to complete daily tasks such as school-based distance learning, we decided to use accessible social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram to host content, because we know many of our constituents utilize these channels. With COVID-19 anchoring us all at home, we chose programs that could be done outdoors and with little supplies. Lastly, we wanted to ensure the programs feel participatory, and so, we encourage families to grab household items and participate in programming that draws on our senses to enhance our understanding of the outside world.

One of our programs “Sensory with Soils” provides youth a learning opportunity from simply playing in the dirt. During this program, we encourage the touch and observation of soil types to understand the benefits and best uses of each soil.

We also generated a survey among our online communities to determine if the increased digital content was useful or overwhelming. The results of this survey will help us to determine how we continue developing digital content and through which platforms we deliver it. WAWA will continue to provide accessible, sensory-based outdoor programming for digital audiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to adding more digital offerings to our environmental education moving forward.

Anamarie Shreeves,
Environmental Education Programs Manager,
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA)

Trade Alert: New China Tariff Exclusions – Hydration Backpacks, Duffels, Bikes, Messenger Bags

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) recently announced that it approved another group of tariff exclusions for products hit by the List 3 China 301 tariffs, including several outdoor products. As a result, any company can gain tariff relief on items that match the product description approved by the USTR. We are writing to provide you with the details on these exclusions to ensure that OIA members are able to take advantage of this opportunity to reduce their tariff costs.

To learn more about this exclusion process and how to take advantage of it to reduce your tariff costs, join us for a webinar this Thursday, April 30, at 3 p.m. (ET).

The group of product exclusions is retroactive to Sept. 24, 2018, and will be valid through Aug. 7, 2020. Here are some examples of the products included:

  • Backpacks with hydration packs
  • Bikes
  • Duffel bags
  • Messenger bags

In order to claim this exclusion, your product must match the product description, and you should use Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code 9903.88.45 when importing your product.

Again, any importer can benefit from a granted exclusion if the product matches both the subheading and the exact specifications of the granted product description. If your product matches the written description but is not currently classified under that provided HTS, we recommend that you check with your customs broker or counsel to review its applicable classification.

To claim duty refunds using a product exclusion, importers can either submit a post-summary correction (PSC) or file a protest. For future imports, the Chapter 99 number assigned to that product exclusion must be used on entries and entry summaries. Guidance on this process issued by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can be found here.

We will keep you updated on any future developments on China 301 product exclusions.