Photo: Greg Freyberg
This week, The Conservation Alliance made a trip to our Nation's Capital; with a delegation made up of member company representatives from around the country.
The trip was educational, informative, and productive. We were able to meet with a number of members of Congress; sharing with them the economic benefits of protected public land and the importance of these lands to the Outdoor Industry.
While it can be dispiriting to engage our decision makers, and to hear all the time how dysfunctional Congress is, it is important to show up regularly, and remind them that conservation matters to the outdoor industry and its customers. It's a game of incremental progress, and eventually, we will celebrate success.
As if to demonstrate that, on Wednesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed 20 public lands bills, including three Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River bills that we have supported. Those bills will now go to the full Senate for a vote, then hopefully on to the House.
Also on Wednesday, Senator Patty Murray included full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the Senate Budget Resolution. While this is just a framework for the future appropriations and authorization bills, it is really great and important to be included.
Conservation Alliance funding and advocacy makes a real difference as we slowly push these things forward. We appreciate your support and will keep you posted as these things progress.