Type: OIA Press Room

BOULDER, Colo. (November 29, 2023) – Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) President Kent Ebersole today released the following statement commending the introduction of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act in the U.S. House:

“We are thrilled to see Congress taking bipartisan action to ensure each American has the opportunity to enjoy outdoor spaces in their own community, bolster economic growth, and advance mental and physical health benefits for all, and thank House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Grijalva for their leadership on this bill. The outdoor recreation economy continues to soar to new levels, accounting for over $1 trillion in consumer spending and demonstrating participant growth for the eighth consecutive year. This is an important inflection point. We must modernize, preserve, and increase access to the public lands and waterways – regardless of where someone lives or works – and support more than five million employees who help drive our industry forward.”

Since its initial introduction by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in 2021, OIA has also strongly advocated for the companion America’s Outdoor Recreation Act which aims to bring green spaces to more people and expand access to the great outdoors.

###

About the Outdoor Industry Association

Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a catalyst for meaningful change. A member-based collective, OIA is a passionate group of business leaders, climate experts, policy makers and outdoor enthusiasts committed to sustainable economic growth and climate positivity while protecting – and growing access to – the benefits of the outdoors for everyone. For more than 30 years, OIA has catalyzed a thriving outdoor industry by supporting the success of every member company across four critically aligned areas: market research, sustainability, government affairs, and inclusive participation. OIA delivers success for its members through education, events, and business services in the form of solutions and strategies, consultation, collaboration, and opportunities for collective action. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.org.

BOULDER, CO (November 27, 2023) – A member-led collective and the outdoor industry’s catalyst for meaningful change, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) today proudly announces that Julie M.H. Brown has joined the team as Director of Sustainable Business Innovation. In her new role, Brown will direct and manage OIA’s sustainability department in its mission to unite, empower and guide the outdoor industry to become climate positive by 2030.

Along with driving all OIA sustainability initiatives into the future, Brown will oversee OIA’s Climate Action Corps, the consortium consisting of over 75 outdoor businesses that has already made significant and crucial progress on measuring, setting targets, reducing emissions, and advocating for bold policy action in Congress. She will also lead OIA’s Clean Chemistry and Materials Coalition (CCMC), the comprehensive program that provides OIA members with strategies, scalable action plans, and solutions for thoughtfully phasing out PFAS and other harmful chemicals from their products.

“Julie brings to OIA almost two decades of environmental sustainability experience at the nexus of policy, business and technology. Her knowledge in this critical area will be vital as we continue to provide meaningful council, education, and pragmatic programs to our members,” said Kent Ebersole, President of OIA.

Brown brings a wealth of experience in sustainability to OIA, with a long history of working with brands in the apparel and outdoor markets, where she executed sustainability strategies for global brands, technology companies, and circular economy partners. Most recently she served as Head of Sustainability for EON, a technology company leading the development of cloud-based digital identities for products. Prior to that, Brown worked as Director of the Higg Index at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, where she collaborated directly with OIA to launch and optimize the Higg Index for the outdoor industry.

“The outdoor industry is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful impact and inspire profound change through sustainable innovation, advocacy, and research. In today’s world, transparency in sustainability performance is not just a choice; it’s a necessity,” said Brown. “I am truly honored to be a part of the OIA team and am looking forward to collaborating with our members to help them achieve their crucial sustainability objectives.”

“Collectively we can create more sustainable practices to ensure the outdoor industry is successful for the health of business, people, and the planet,” Ebersole added.

About Outdoor Industry Association

Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a catalyst for meaningful change. A member-based collective, OIA is a passionate group of business leaders, climate experts, policy makers and outdoor enthusiasts committed to sustainable economic growth and climate positivity while protecting – and growing access to – the benefits of the outdoors for everyone. For more than 30 years, OIA has catalyzed a thriving outdoor industry by supporting the success of every member company across four critically aligned areas: market research, sustainability, government affairs, and inclusive participation. OIA delivers success for its members through education, events, and business services in the form of solutions and strategies, consultation, collaboration, and opportunities for collective action. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.org

 

 

BOULDER, Colo. – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released new data showcasing the tremendous impact of outdoor recreation on America’s economy. In 2022, the BEA found that outdoor recreation accounted for $1.1 trillion in gross economic output, 2.2% of gross domestic product (GDP), and supported 5 million jobs across the United States.  

“It comes as no surprise that outdoor recreation and the outdoor economy continue to demonstrate outstanding growth, which also supports the historic trends in outdoor participation we have seen in recent years,” said OIA President Kent Ebersole. “The outdoor recreation participant base grew for the eighth consecutive year to a record 168.1 million participants, and new participants are increasingly diverse and looking to businesses to lead on sustainability, equity, and conservation. This new data demonstrates the strength of the outdoor recreation industry and our collective power to drive sustainable economic growth while protecting – and growing access to – the benefits of the outdoors for everyone.”  

BEA launched its outdoor recreation economy project in 2017 to “deepen the public’s understanding of the economic impact of outdoor recreation, inform decision making, and improve governance and long-term management of public lands and waters.” 

### 

About the Outdoor Industry Association  

Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a catalyst for meaningful change. A member-based collective, OIA is a passionate group of business leaders, climate experts, policy makers and outdoor enthusiasts committed to sustainable economic growth and climate positivity while protecting – and growing access to – the benefits of the outdoors for everyone. For more than 30 years, OIA has catalyzed a thriving outdoor industry by supporting the success of every member company across four critically aligned areas: market research, sustainability, government affairs, and inclusive participation. OIA delivers success for its members through education, events, and business services in the form of solutions and strategies, consultation, collaboration, and opportunities for collective action. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.org.  

 

  

 

BOULDER, Colo.  (September 29, 2023) – Today, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) President Kent Ebersole released the following statement regarding the looming government shutdown on September 30:

“Government shutdowns are bad for business. Although no two shutdowns are alike, and the impact of a shutdown varies from agency to agency, the $862 billion outdoor recreation industry and its 4.5 million employees rely on public lands, waterways, and national parks to be open and accessible to the public. If past experience teaches us anything, we know tens of millions of dollars are at stake for communities and outdoor businesses across the country, not to mention the risk to tens of thousands of hard-working business owners, employees, and families. We strongly encourage all sides to negotiate a plan to keep the federal government running before the funding deadline.”

Washington D.C. (Sep. 28, 2023) — Aligned around the goal of facing unprecedented threats to public lands and waters, three well-established outdoor industry non-profits – representing a quarter million people and 800 businesses – are coming together with an aligned agenda and shared voice to protect the outdoors. The new coalition — Protect America’s Outdoors — is unified by the idea that speaking with one voice on behalf of a huge group of people makes their collective impact stronger.

Outdoor Alliance, The Conservation Alliance, and Outdoor Industry Association are already long-time partners. Outdoor Alliance and The Conservation Alliance are nonprofits working to advocate for the human-powered outdoor recreation community and conservation-minded businesses around protecting America’s wild places and outdoor spaces. Outdoor Industry Association is the trade association for the Outdoor Industry, whose membership champions conservation of public lands for both outdoor recreation and environmental health.

In the last few years, conservation advocates have seen rapid change around public land and outdoor activities. Outdoor recreation participation is at a new high, with more than half of Americans participating in outdoor recreation in 2022. Increased visitation has put pressure on public lands and waters, especially after years of underfunding and short-staffing. What’s more, climate change, and a lack of access to nature for many Americans threatens many communities.

“Protect America’s Outdoors was born out of these challenges,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “Now is the time to show our collective power and make sure that lawmakers understand the importance of protecting the outdoors — not just for land, water, wildlife conservation, or outdoor recreation, but also for our identity as a nation.”

Shoren Brown, Vice President of Public Affairs for TCA, said: “We’re stronger together. We see tremendous potential to continue and grow the outdoor recreation industry and its economic impact across the country. The ceiling for progress is so much higher when we collaborate with those who share the same vision for conservation.”

The shared policy goals of Protect America’s Outdoors include:

• Conserving America’s Public Lands and Waters
• Making American Lands and Waters Part of Climate Solutions
• Supporting Sustainable and Equitable Outdoor Recreation Access
• Ensuring Funding for Conservation and Stewardship

Outdoor recreation’s economic impact has also continued to grow in recent years, contributing $862 billion in gross economic output to the U.S. economy in 2021, and sustaining more than 4.5 million jobs. Communities around the country are looking to expand outdoor recreation opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life and support diversified local economies.

The time is now for policymakers to take action to protect the outdoors and everything they provide for the American people.

Learn more about Protect America’s Outdoors, including shared policy goals and past successes, at www.ProtectingAmericasOutdoors.com.

About Outdoor Alliance, The Conservation Alliance and Outdoor Industry Association

Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of 10 member-based organizations representing the human-powered outdoor recreation community. The coalition includes Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, Colorado Mountain Club, and Surfrider Foundation. It represents the interests of the millions of Americans who climb, paddle, mountain bike, ski, and enjoy coastal recreation on our nation’s public lands, waters, and snowscapes. outdooralliance.org

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. 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 $21 million, helped to protect more than 51 million acres of wildlands; protect 3,107 miles of rivers; stop or remove 34 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 14 climbing areas. conservationalliance.com

Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is a catalyst for meaningful change. A member-based collective, OIA is a passionate group of business leaders, climate experts, policy makers and outdoor enthusiasts committed to sustainable economic growth and climate positivity while protecting the benefits of the outdoors for everyone. For more than 30 years, OIA has catalyzed a thriving outdoor industry by supporting the success of every member company across four critically aligned areas: market research, sustainability, government affairs, and inclusive participation. OIA delivers success for its members through education, events, and business services in the form of solutions and strategies, collaboration, and opportunities for collective action. For information, visit outdoorindustry.org.