A group of four Conservation Alliance members traveled to Washington DC to talk to members of Congress about the importance of securing new Wilderness designations in Rocky Mountain National Park and elsewhere in Colorado.
Representatives from Chaco, GoLite, Outdoor Industry Association, and The Conservation Alliance spent two days in meetings with 14 Congressional offices to show support for legislation that would protect 250,000 acres of federal land within the iconic park as Wilderness. The group also voiced support for efforts to protect 20,000 acres along the Arkansas River in central Colorado, and 150,000 acres in the Dominguez Canyon region of western Colorado.
The Conservation Alliance organized the trip in conjunction with the Colorado Environmental Coalition (CEC) (www.ourcolorado.org) a recent Conservation Alliance grant recipient.
“When possible, we like to supplement our financial support with on-the-ground advocacy,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “Our member companies recognize the value of protecting wild places for non-motorized use.”
Conservationists in Colorado have been working for more than 30 years to protect Rocky Mountain National Park as Wilderness. More recent campaigns have grown around protecting Brown’s and Dominguez Canyons.
“Rocky Mountain National Park is an iconic wildland that deserves the highest level of federal protection,” said Sterling.
The Conservation Alliance has 25 member companies based in Colorado, most of which have endorsed protection for these three areas. “Colorado is a mecca for the outdoor industry, and our members there want to leave a lasting legacy in the state,” Sterling said.
Trip participants included Brian Scranton (Chaco), Colin True (GoLite), Amy Roberts (Outdoor Industry Association), and Sterling.