On 10th Anniversary, Outdoor Alliance Supporters Gather In D.C. To Advocate For Conservation Wins

As Outdoor Alliance celebrates a decade of conservation powered by outdoor recreation, more than 75 of its supporters will gather in Washington D.C. next week, Sept. 10-12, to advocate to lawmakers for the next big legislative wins supporting public lands and waters. 

Along with a 10th-anniversary celebration taking place a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Sept. 12, supporters of Outdoor Alliance will spend two days on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators. That builds on Outdoor Alliance’s work over the last decade, which has permanently protected 40 million acres of public land, secured $5.1 billion in funding for the outdoors, and converted more than 100,000 outdoor enthusiasts into outdoor advocates.

“This advocacy event exemplifies what we are all about — getting hikers, kayakers, backcountry skiers, surfers, mountain bikers, all leveraging their love of place to help conserve and protect places at scale,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. 

The week will showcase the involvement of the Grasstops Collective, an Outdoor Alliance leadership and advocacy development program started earlier this year to train grasstops advocates in building relationships with policymakers, advocating for conservation priorities, and serving as conservation leaders in their regional communities. While in D.C. this week, Outdoor Alliance staff will lead an advocacy workshop for these grasstops leaders and others attending the 10th-anniversary event. Beyond the Grasstops Collective, representatives of companies ranging from Patagonia to REI will be in attendance, along with outdoor leaders and athletes, such as climber Tommy Caldwell and staff from the Outdoor Industry Association. 

The 20 grasstops advocates who are part of the program in 2024 come from across the country, with a variety of backgrounds, outdoor recreation pursuits, and leadership roles. They include leaders of local climbing organizations, executive directors of mountain bike, recreation, and trail running organizations, Indigenous leaders, and outdoor business leaders. 

The Grasstops program ties directly to one of Outdoor Alliance’s larger goals — increasing public engagement in the legislative process to advance conservation and outdoor recreation priorities. Along with the grasstops advocates, other supporters in attendance this week will include representatives of all 10 member organizations who are part of Outdoor Alliance and represent constituencies from many different types of human-powered outdoor recreation. 

Specifically, supporters of Outdoor Alliance will be championing this week for passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a first-of-its-kind bipartisan package of outdoor recreation policy to improve outdoor recreation on America’s public lands and waters. This outdoor recreation policy package creates opportunities to improve how public lands are managed to enhance outdoor experiences for all. The EXPLORE Act includes many key bills that Outdoor Alliance and its partners have helped develop and refine alongside lawmakers. 

“The fact is, legislators do listen and respond to constituents,” Cramer said. “Yes, there is a high level of disillusionment in the public domain relative to our political processes. The work with the Grasstops Collective, and our work in general, is about empowering people to see the bigger forest through the trees — helping them connect the dots that people’s collective voices do make a difference in achieving victories around these special places that need support.” 

Over the last 10 years, Outdoor Alliance has united the human-powered outdoor recreation community to achieve lasting conservation victories, an overview of which is captured in a video about the last decade of its work. One of Outdoor Alliance’s biggest achievements was helping create momentum and consensus to pass the John Dingell Public Lands Package in 2019, which protected more than 14 million acres of public land and permanently reauthorized funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. 

"Outdoor Alliance's impact in the world of outdoor policy and advocacy cannot be overstated,” said Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia. “Their team's collective expertise has shaped legislation to protect public lands and waters, and ensure equitable access to outdoor spaces.”