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Adam Cramer is the CEO of the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition that brings together human-powered outdoor recreation groups to protect public lands and waters. With a deep understanding of both policy and recreation, Adam has helped position the Outdoor Alliance as a powerful voice in the national conservation movement—bridging the gap between grassroots outdoor communities and high-level decision-making in Washington, DC. Before launching into public lands advocacy, Adam spent years working as an attorney in DC. But outside the office, his life was centered on outdoor adventure—he started as a skateboarder, then became a climber, and eventually a whitewater kayaker. A chance encounter in a river parking area led to his first pro bono conservation case, and that spark ultimately evolved into his full-time vocation. Adam's story is a testament to the idea that if you care deeply about a place, there's a way to use your unique skills to help protect it. In this conversation, we talked about the origins of the Outdoor Alliance, Adam's evolution from attorney to coalition-builder, and why generosity—not dominance—is his guiding principle for leadership. We discussed why civic engagement matters more than ever, how outdoor recreation can build bipartisan bridges, and why showing up—even when it feels small—can make a real difference. It's worth noting that we recorded this conversation in early June 2025, just as a wave of new legislation and political turbulence was rolling across the public lands landscape. Since then, things have continued to change rapidly. If you care about the future of outdoor recreation and conservation in this country, I highly recommend signing up for the Outdoor Alliance's newsletter or following them on social media to stay informed and involved. Again, a big thanks to the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation for introducing me to Adam, and another big thanks to Patagonia Denver for generously letting us use their community room to record this conversation. Enjoy! --- Adam Cramer Outdoor Alliance Outdoor Alliance - TAKE ACTION The latest from the Outdoor Alliance (as of 6.16.25) Outdoor Alliance on Instagram Sign up for Action Alerts Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/adam-cramer/ --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation. To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today. Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society. To learn more about Mighty Arrow's forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:05 – Intro (with a jiu jitsu connection) 6:45 – Law school, then what? 8:01 – The individuality of skateboarding 10:38 – Billdering 11:45 – Beginning of kayaking and the end of a relationship 13:40 – A type of code switching 16:26 – Giving back to the places 23:03 – How Outdoor Alliance came together 27:51 – Sticking points 30:46 – Attorney mindset to strategy point-person 33:13 – Leadership inspiration 37:24 – A generous mindset 42:49 – Who's pro selling off public lands? 45:21 – Guidepost goals 49:04 – The reason Adam got on the plane to Colorado, where he's talking with Ed 48:14 - Why you should engage with your elected officials 58:30 - Evidence the world doesn't totally suck 59:43 - Optimistic? 1:03:40 - How to get involved 1:05:06 - Book recs --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
Today on the show we're bringing you the first interview recorded at 2025's GOA Connect and then checking in on the latest attempt to sell off our public lands. First up Colin and Eoin Comerford sat down with NEMO's Cam Brensinger to talk about 20 years of building a bullet proof reputation and ponder if outdoor gear needs to go as far with sustainability initiatives as apparel.Then Colin is joined by Tania Lown-Hecht from the Outdoor Alliance to discuss the news of the Senate's attempt to require the sale of 3 million acres of public lands. Get your emails and phone calls ready, it's time to get back to work. Or just click here to get it done quickly.Check out hundreds of wildly cool products by visiting and shopping at Garage Grown Gear!Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's semi-weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com.
After months of rumors and speculation, on May 16th MEC finally announced that they have indeed been acquired. One of the group that has purchased MEC from Kingswood Capital Management is also their Chief Merchandising Officer, Chris Speyer. Today on the show Chris sits down with Colin and Eoin Comerford to talk about MEC's new ownership group, where the brand is and where it's going. (04:00)Then Colin is joined by Tania Lown-Hecht from the Outdoor Alliance who has an update on the plan to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada. Spoiler alert: It's actually good news! (38:00)Click here to keep the pressure on congress!Check out hundreds of wildly cool products by visiting and shopping at Garage Grown Gear!Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com.
You can find all things Outdoor Alliance at outdooralliance.org.Get host Stephen Casimiro's newsletter at desert-projects.com. Subscribe to our beautiful printed quarterly, whose stories are only found in print, at http://www.subscribetoaj.comFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram — https://www.instagram.com/adventurejournal/Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/adventurejournalPinterest — https://www.pinterest.com/adventurejournl
Today on the show we have updates on two topics that have dominated the outdoor industry discourse over the past few months.First Tania Lown-Hecht from the Outdoor Alliance sits down with Colin to talk about the congressional midnight vote that happened last week that is threatening thousands of acres of public land in Nevada & Utah. (01:19)(We need the Rock Fight Army to show up and make their voices heard! Click here to send the message that selling this land would be the wrong move. Every voice is needed right now no matter where you live but for those of you in the following states, your lawmakers are especially important on this issue: Montana, Colorado, Utah, Arkansas, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico.)Then outdoor industry insider and consigliere to The Rock Fight, Eoin "The Captain" Comerford, drops in to react to the latest update to our tariff situation. On Monday news broke that the US lowering its tariff on goods from China from 145% to 30% and China lowering its levy on US goods from 125% to 10%. That may sound like great news, but as Eoin points out during our conversation there is more to unpack. (13:11)Check out hundreds of wildly cool products by visiting and shopping at Garage Grown Gear!Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com.
Today Colin is joined Adam Cramer the CEO of the Outdoor Alliance to talk about what is happening with our public lands. And there is a lot happening.Over the last few weeks, we've seen or heard the following:A leaked document from the Department of the Interior.Last week the administration released their budget guidelines for 2026 which included upheavals for the Park Service including things like transferring National Parks sites over to state control as well as a number of cuts to things like NPS Historic Preservation Fund.The Forest Service and the BLM have been directed to come up with parcels ready for "disposal" that are near big population centers.Agencies are currently sorting out their “RIFs” which means Reduction In Force, where they are losing about 30% of their staff. This on top of the cuts that already happened a couple of months ago.And just two days ago, literally in the middle of the night, an amendment was voted on to sell off somewhere between 11,000 and 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada. So what is an outdoor enthusiast to do? We get into it on today's episode. And stay tuned to The Rock Fight in the coming days and weeks for actionable updates from the Outdoor Alliance so that you can help protect our public lands!Check out hundreds of wildly cool products by visiting and shopping at Garage Grown Gear!Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC. Sign up for NEWS FROM THE FRONT, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter by heading to www.rockfight.co and clicking Join The Mailing List.Please follow and subscribe to The Rock Fight and give us a 5 star rating and a written review wherever you get your podcasts.Want to pick a fight with The Rock Fight? Send your feedback, questions, and comments to myrockfight@gmail.com.
In this episode, we discuss the ongoing threats to our public lands and the attacks on US environmental protections under the current administration. From the push for fossil fuel extraction to rollbacks of key policies like the Antiquities Act and NEPA, the Trump administration's agenda is having devastating impacts on public lands and the environment. We hear from: Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer for the Conservation Lands FoundationLouis Geltman, Vice President for Policy and Government Relations at Outdoor AllianceTania Lown-Hecht, the Vice President of Communications and Strategy at Outdoor AllianceDo you have questions or potential guests for future episodes covering public lands policy? Submit any information to our Google Form: https://forms.gle/VQW5ZoVcr6nDEd9t8or reach out via email on our website (theoutdoorminimalist.com)Key Topics:The ongoing dismantling of protections for public lands, including national monuments and the Antiquities Act.The shift towards corporate-friendly policies under the Trump administration and the rise of fossil fuel extraction on public lands.The environmental consequences of rapid resource extraction and the increasing threat to ecosystems, wildlife, and local communities.The impact of staffing cuts within federal land management agencies, weakening both recreational management and wildfire response.How public advocacy is making a difference: Over 100,000 letters sent to Congress and restored positions within land management agencies.What you can do to make your voice heard and protect public lands through organizations like Outdoor Alliance and the Conservation Lands Foundation.Resources:Outdoor Alliance: Take ActionConservation Lands FoundationSign up for updates and more at The Outdoor Minimalist NewsletterEpisode Sources:PBS: https://youtu.be/-sDtdCzMIKA?si=VSw4NdskP7Lw1Wl1PBS: https://youtu.be/vYtDOq-EhYU?si=_-JMWFnbLkZsrSLUhttps://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2025/2/25/press-release-threats-to-rural-recreation-economies-from-poorly-managed-oil-and-gas-developmentnbsp https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2025/3/6/public-lands-staffing-crisis-worsens-as-more-layoffs-threatened https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/republican-plan-privatize-sell-federal-public-lands-west/ https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/map-illustrate-public-lands-reach-trump-energy-dominance https://www.nrdc.org/media/executive-orders-direct-massive-expansion-logging-public-lands https://www.npr.org/2025/03/13/nx-s1-5325959/federal-employees-court-firing https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2025/3/13/press-release-outdoor-alliance-rallies-120-businesses-brands-organizations-to-correct-public-land-staffing-reductions https://www.conservationlands.org/new_legislation_seeks_to_gut_public_process_on_federal_public_land_management_in_colorado_montana_oregon_and_wyoming
The first-ever episode of Good Morning Outdoors is here with Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett! We're diving into Blackstone's $5.65B acquisition of Safe Harbor Marinas—what does this mean for the future of outdoor recreation and waterfront access? Plus, DOGE is making significant cuts to public lands agencies, and the Outdoor Alliance says it could spell disaster for recreation and conservation. And finally, could we be witnessing Fyre Fest 2.0? We break down the latest controversy and what's really happening in the RV and outdoor travel boom. ---- Good Morning Outdoors is part of the Hospitality.FM Multi-Media Network and is a licensed podcast under Good Morning Hospitality! The hospitality industry is constantly growing, changing, and innovating! This podcast brings you the top news and topics from industry experts across different hospitality fields. Good Morning Hospitality publishes three thirty-minute weekly episodes: every Monday and Wednesday at 7 a.m. PST / 10 a.m. EST and every Tuesday at 8 a.m. CET for our European and UK-focused content. Make sure to tune in during our live show on our LinkedIn page or YouTube every week and join the conversation live! Explore everything Good Morning Hospitality has to offer: • Well & Good Morning Coffee: Enjoy our signature roast—order here! • Retreats: Join us at one of our exclusive retreats—learn more and register your interest here! • Episodes & More: Find all episodes and additional info at GoodMorningHospitality.com Thank you to all of the Hospitality.FM Partners that help make this show possible. If you have any press you want to be covered during the show, email us at goodmorning@hospitality.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The first-ever episode of Good Morning Outdoors is here with Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett! We're diving into Blackstone's $5.65B acquisition of Safe Harbor Marinas—what does this mean for the future of outdoor recreation and waterfront access? Plus, DOGE is making significant cuts to public lands agencies, and the Outdoor Alliance says it could spell disaster for recreation and conservation. And finally, could we be witnessing Fyre Fest 2.0? We break down the latest controversy and what's really happening in the RV and outdoor travel boom. ---- Good Morning Outdoors is part of the Hospitality.FM Multi-Media Network and is a licensed podcast under Good Morning Hospitality! The hospitality industry is constantly growing, changing, and innovating! This podcast brings you the top news and topics from industry experts across different hospitality fields. Good Morning Hospitality publishes three thirty-minute weekly episodes: every Monday and Wednesday at 7 a.m. PST / 10 a.m. EST and every Tuesday at 8 a.m. CET for our European and UK-focused content. Make sure to tune in during our live show on our LinkedIn page or YouTube every week and join the conversation live! Explore everything Good Morning Hospitality has to offer: • Well & Good Morning Coffee: Enjoy our signature roast—order here! • Retreats: Join us at one of our exclusive retreats—learn more and register your interest here! • Episodes & More: Find all episodes and additional info at GoodMorningHospitality.com Thank you to all of the Hospitality.FM Partners that help make this show possible. If you have any press you want to be covered during the show, email us at goodmorning@hospitality.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to the first episode of 2025! I'm stoked to dive into another exciting year of podcast content with all of you, and we have some exciting things planned for the year. So, if you aren't already, make sure you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter. Every Monday, with the release of a new episode, I send out an email newsletter with the latest content you can hear and watch and any additional information relevant to our listeners. Last October, we had our first theme month: Climate Month. I enjoyed focusing on one broad topic area and tailoring it to the outdoor industry through a series of expert interviews. So, we are doing that again in January, but this time, our focus is on policy and politics. There's a lot of stress going into 2025 and many unknowns regarding human rights, land access, the economy, and so much more as we transition into a new administration. We will be talking about most of these topics throughout the month and how they relate to outdoor communities, but we are starting with outdoor policy predictions and how we, as individuals and businesses, can use our voices to take action to protect the people and lands we love. To help guide this conversation, I had the privilege of sitting down and chatting with Adam Cramer. Adam Cramer is the founding Executive Director and present CEO of Outdoor Alliance, a national coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups that has breathed new life into the conservation movement by harnessing the outdoor community's passion for place and combining it with a modern approach to organizing and digital engagement. During his time as CEO, Adam has brought new sensibilities to conservation work that have resulted in hundreds of thousands more acres of protected landscapes, improved management for outdoor recreation, and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts awakened to conservation and advocacy work. He is an avid whitewater kayaker and mountain biker, but is always on the lookout for a good skatepark. Adam lives in Maryland with his wife and two kids. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/ WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist ORDER THE BOOK: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/book LISTENER SURVEY: https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976 ---------------------- Outdoor Alliance Website: https://www.outdooralliance.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outdooralliance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorAlliance/
Today on THE ROCK FIGHT (an outdoor podcast that aims for the head) it's all about outdoor specialty retail!Specialty retailers play a crucial role in the outdoor industry, serving as community connection points and acting as tastemakers essential for brand legitimacy and consumer engagement. Today on THE ROCK FIGHT Gabe Meyer, president of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, joins Colin to talk about the about the evolving landscape of specialty retail in the wake of direct-to-consumer trends and larger retail competition. As the industry navigates these transitions, Gabe emphasizes the importance of specialty shops, driven by their unique value and the experiences they offer to customers. The pair wrap things up with a discussion on trade shows and national gatherings.Chapters:02:52 - Why Specialty Retailers Matter07:10 - Challenges Facing Specialty Retail12:24 - Do brands understand the value of specialty?22:38 - The Role of Trade ShowsHurricane Helene Relief Links:Fuel GoodsGoFundMe for Bubba O'LearysWestern North Carolina Hurriance Helene Resource GuideEast Tennessee Foundation Relief FundHead to www.rockfight.co and sign up for News From the Front, Rock Fight's weekly newsletter!Please follow and subscribe to THE ROCK FIGHT and give us a 5 star rating and written review wherever you get your podcasts.Listen to and follow Gear & Beer! The newest show on the Rock Fight Podcast Network.Have a question or comment for a future mailbag episode? Send it to myrockfight@gmail.com or send a message on Instagram or Threads.Thanks for listening! THE ROCK FIGHT is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.
The Pursuit – EP175 – Outdoor Alliance Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, Colorado Mountain Club, and Surfrider Foundation. For 10 years, Outdoor Alliance has [...] The post The Pursuit – EP175 – Outdoor Alliance appeared first on Out Of Collective.
Today's episode features Access Fund's new executive director, Heather Thorne. Heather joins Access Fund with nearly 30 years of climbing experience and nearly 15 years after she began climbing, advocacy helped save one of her favorite crags. Coming from a long background working in the tech industry, she aspires to apply a scientific approach and use a high level of creativity for how the organization approaches opportunities and challenges. Heather hit the ground running in her new role. Whether it's traveling to meet with other advocates or local organizations in Access Fund's orbit, or getting up to speed with fixed anchors in Wilderness areas, or other aspects of Access Fund's core programming, she is applying that scientific method to lead the organization forward. 6:09- Heather's intro 10:20- Athlete to advocate 14:30- Parallels between the tech industry and outdoor advocacy 19:29- Heather's work travels 25:04- Updates on fixed anchors in Wilderness areas 25:25- Minimum Requirements Analysis (MRA) process 35:14- The Mentorship Campaign 44:31- Climber stewards + general outreach and education 50:55- Reflections on the Outdoor Alliance board retreat 54:34- What's next for Access Fund & Heather's vision Heather's intro: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/access-fund-announces-heather-thorne-as-new-executive-director Climber Survey (closes on September 10th, 2024): https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/take-our-2024-climber-survey Fixed anchors: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/whats-next-for-wilderness-climbing Mentorship campaign: https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/join-us-in-mentoring-responsible-climbers Impact Map: https://www.accessfund.org/impact-map Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Helinox, we are joined by Adam Cramer, the founding Executive Director and CEO of Outdoor Alliance, a national coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups revitalizing the conservation movement with modern organizing and digital engagement. We learn all about this organization, the work they've done, the conservation movement at large, some interesting data from their recent wildfire report, and much more. We wrap the show with news of a new feature from iOS 18 which could be a gamechanger for backpackers, the proper ratio of water to corpses, and the triple Crown of AT trail sections you'd take someone you hate. Helinox: Use code “BACKPACKER20” for 20% off at helinox.com. Gossamer Gear: Use code “SNUGGLEBUG” for 20% off shelters at gossamergear.com. Backpacker's Pantry: Use code “THETREK” for 20% off at backpackerspantry.com. [divider] Interview with Adam Cramer Take action for the EXPLORE Act Sign up for action alerts Outdoor Alliance Action Center Wildfire and Outdoor Recreation in the West Time stamps & Questions 00:04:00 - Reminders: Apply for the Trek's new full time position! Suggest a guest for us to interview at PCT Days and support us on Patreon. 00:07:35 - Introducing Adam 00:08:13 - What makes for a good skatepark? 00:09:20 - Tell us about whitewater rafting 00:12:44 - What is Outdoor Alliance and how is it funded? 00:14:00 - How do you pick where the primary attention goes? 00:15:22 - How did you get involved with Outdoor Alliance? 00:20:04 - What are the specific objectives of Outdoor Alliance for this year? 00:22:07 - What does the EXPLORE act include? 00:24:10 - How did the EXPLORE act get passed in the House and what's the process for the Senate? 00:28:39 - Tell us about the funding 00:31:04 - Do you collaborate with any hunting and fishing organizations? 00:33:06 - Does any of the funding go towards trail maintenance? 00:35:35 - Does it get exhausting to argue the same thing year after year? 00:37:32 - What were some of the findings from the Outdoor Alliance wildfire report? 00:41:50 - Would some regions implement this before others? 00:47:07 - Are you looking to expand how many organizations you work with? 00:47:45 - Kumo Question: What's the most beautiful place you've ever been to? Segments Trek Propaganda: No Signal, No Problem: Apple Introduces 2-Way Satellite Messaging for iPhones by James Townsend Accidental Oopsies QOTD: People will swim in the ocean, even though there are definitely many corpses in it. People will not swim in a pool with a corpse in it. Humans all have a corpse:water ratio that is acceptable for them to swim in. What is your ratio? Triple Crown of AT trail sections you'd take someone you hate Priest Confession (and leave us your own!) Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/. Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Austin Ford, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Brent Stenberg, Bryan Alsop, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Dayne, Derek Koch, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg McDaniel, Hailey Buckingham, Liz Seger, Patrick Cianciolo, Sawyer Products, SPAM, Timothy Hahn, Tracy ‘Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: 12 Trees Farms, Bonnie Ackerman, David, Dcnerdlet, Emily Galusha, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Joann Menzer, Katharine Rudzitis, Keith Dobie Jr, Merle Watkins, Peter, and Ruth S.
Today on the podcast, the guys start off by discussing their recent rides including their thoughts and first impressions on the all new 2024 Yeti ASR that is fully XC Race Ready. They also briefly chat about the Outdoor Alliance and their initiatives and importance in the MTB community before jumping into some top tier listener questions ranging from being mullet curious to how we deal with bike FOMO and everything in between. Tune in! Our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCczlFdoHUMcFJuHUeZf9b_Q Worldwide Cyclery YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZoC1sIG-vVtLsJDSbeYyw Worldwide Cyclery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldwidecyclery/ MTB Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtbpodcast/ Submit any and all questions to podcast@worldwidecyclery.com https://www.outdooralliance.org/take-action https://allmountainrides.com/products/ultimate-dolomites-8-days
What does it take to turn the dream of sustainable recreation into a reality? How can we shape policies that genuinely impact the landscapes we love? Hilary Eisen and Jamie Ervin talk to Sam Rider about the keys to a future where outdoor enjoyment and environmental preservation coexist on public lands. Speaker Bios: Hilary Eisen is Winter Wildlands Alliance's Policy Director. Based in Bozeman, she leads WWA's engagement in National Forest winter travel management and other policy issues affecting backcountry skiers. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana and a B.A. degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Middlebury College. Jamie Ervin is Outdoor Alliance's Policy Associate and a forest ecologist who has worked extensively on wildfire resilience and forest health issues in California's Sierra Nevada. He holds a Master's of Environmental Law & Policy and a Master's of Natural Resources. Sam is currently the National Recreation Planner within the USFS's Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer Resources shop. Sam joined USFS in 2016 as a recreation planner for the Rocky Mountain Region and, in a past life, was a recreation planner for the Department of Energy and Department of Defense. She also serves as Vice Chair for the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council. Sam has a degree in Outdoor Recreation from George Mason University and definitely considers winter to be the superior season. Resources: Winter Wildlands Alliance NEPA A Framework for Sustainable Recreation 2012 Planning Rule Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) WWA Winter Travel Planning Reimagine Recreation Outdoor Alliance Forest Planning Wildfire Crisis Strategy 10 Year Trail Challenge Forest Service Equity Action Plan Bridger Mountain sign project Sponsors: Outdoor Alliance, Mighty Arrow Foundation, and REI Alpine Quest Sports Transcripts: click here
What does winter recreation have to do with wildfire? What if backcountry skiers could help improve skiable terrain and climate resiliency at the same time? Jamie Ervin, Jason Kuiken, and Matt Williams discuss the complex drivers of wildfires and a system out of balance. Tune in to hear solutions and reimagine the role recreation can play in re-establishing wildfire resilience. Speaker Bios: Jamie Ervin: is Outdoor Alliance's Policy Associate and a forest ecologist who has worked extensively on wildfire resilience and forest health issues in California's Sierra Nevada. He holds a Master's of Environmental Law & Policy and a Master's of Natural Resources. Jason Kuiken: is the Forest Supervisor on the Stanislaus National Forest. He recognizes that many economies surrounding public lands are dependent upon recreation and tourism. He focuses on balancing the multiple uses that occur on public lands while creating resiliency to insects, disease, drought and wildland fire. Matt Williams: is the Executive Director of the Catamount Trail Association (CTA) in Vermont. He is a firm believer in the power of outdoor recreation to build community, enhance people's quality of life, and inspire support for the protection of public lands. Resources: Winter Wildlands Alliance Trail Break Radio Outdoor Alliance Catamount Trail Association The Big Burn Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape (SERAL) RASTA 30 by 30 Vermont Backcountry Ski Handbook BAER Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions Sponsors: San Juan Huts Outdoor Alliance, Mighty Arrow Foundation, REI Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q9nAjd6A_95dnlOHqncwVR-uEY69rC4gkiJFzc999cA/edit?usp=sharing
Did you know that in Lakota language there is not a word for “nature”? Connor Ryan, proud Hunkpapa Lakota skier, explains why. Listen to Connor's story of ecological realizations and working to re-indigenize our collective culture. Bio: Connor is a proud Hunkpapa Lakota and passionate skier. In 2022 he was named one of the “20 Most Influential People in the Outdoor Industry” by Outside Magazine. Connor was born and raised in the homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute peoples, who have become some of his biggest inspirations and closest relatives, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Skiing is his dance and prayer, a ceremony of its own, one that offers a chance to center himself within nature and the Great Mystery of the universe surrounding him. Connor works to inspire others to deepen their connection to the places they live and play in order for us all to be better relatives to our planet, our communities, and ourselves. Resources: Connor's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sacredstoke Winter Wildlands Alliance - https://winterwildlands.org/ Trail Break Radio - https://winterwildlands.org/trail-break-radio Braiding Sweetgrass - https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass Spirit of the Peaks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwmJMH04Ww Natives Outdoors - https://www.natives-outdoors.org/ Sponsors: Dan Bailey's Outdoor Company - https://danbaileys.com/ Outdoor Alliance, Mighty Arrow Foundation and REI If you're interested in becoming a Backcountry Partner sponsor, reach out to Emily at escott@winterwildlands.org. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LoJyp2zl_P5Yjpe_2sBnS32miLUydMPYgq8tKPL83Fk/edit?usp=sharing
Out of Bounds – E263 – The Importance of the Outdoor Alliance Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to a brand-new episode of The Out Of Bounds podcast, right here on The Out of Collective Network. This week on the program we sit-down with Adam Cramer, the CEO of Outdoor Alliance. In [...] The post Out of Bounds – E263 – The Importance of the Outdoor Alliance appeared first on Out Of Collective.
Hello again everyone, I'm excited to bring you Episode 388 of The Outdoor Biz Podcast and my conversation with Adam Cramer, founding Executive Director and current CEO of Outdoor Alliance, a national coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups breathing new life into the conservation movement by harnessing the outdoor community's passion. Adam has brought new sensibilities to conservation work that have resulted in hundreds of thousands more acres of protected landscapes and so much more . . . Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Sign up for my Newsletter HERE. I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: email: rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com Or leave me a message on Speakpipe! Presented to by: Show Notes Was there an adventure or maybe a person that inspired you to work in the outdoor biz? I've had a lot of adventures that have met a lot of wonderful people. but no, to precisely answer your question, there wasn't an adventure or a person that got me oriented in this space professionally, but, had a lot of inspiration from a lot of folks along the way. How did you get into it professionally? For me it was through kayaking and living in Washington DC. So I moved to DC 25 years ago right outta law school and, had a ton of law school debt, like a lot of people, and DC's an awesome place to learn how to be a lawyer. And it also is probably one of the best whitewater cities in the world. I've heard that. I've heard a lot of people say that. Yeah, it's interesting. Yeah. Wouldn't think so, but yeah, it, [00:02:50] so moved here and got into it and have these two kind of pleasantly parallel lives, being a corporate environmental lawyer during the day. And, got pretty deep into the whitewater scene here. And how'd you get into kayaking? Yeah, that's a good [00:05:10] question. I was really deep into climbing. That was my jam for years. And I didn't really have any connection to DC at all. but I moved here for [00:05:20] work and I moved here with a girl I was dating in law school. And she had the idea, she said, let's learn something that's new for both of us. And we're living in a little basement [00:05:30] apartment and, And she's Hey, let's learn how to kayak. And I thought, all right, this is not gonna work out that well. It involves like a lot of gear. and we're in this little place. I'm like, all [00:05:40] right, whatever. So we go and we learn how to go into a pool session where you learn how to roll the kayak in a swimming pool. and she hated it. And I thought, wow, this is a lot of fun. Yeah. And, And then we split up and I had a lot of time on my hands. Yeah. so I just spent a lot of time kayaking. What was the inspiration for Outdoor Alliance? [00:08:00] Yeah. great question. I think, the idea was that, to diversify, the constituency for conservation. And, early two thousands, [00:08:10] this is before my time, before my involvement in outdoor lands, there is this concern that, to really make advancement, for conservation, you gotta bring [00:08:20] more people to the table. And from other perspectives. And the traditional conservation community, environmental community has done so much. for, for conservation and, protecting the [00:08:30] outdoors, but it could be divisive at times. And, there was some thought that, what other constituencies, what other communities could have [00:08:40] conservation values, but have a different identity, different perspective. And there was, an investment over time with the hunting and angling community to see if, folks that care about [00:08:50] fishing and hunting and, clean air and clean water. Could find common ground, about broader conservation issues. And that was the genesis for organizations like 50 [00:09:00] or Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and others. And Outdoor Alliance, the idea of it arose out of, arose out of that, like if you could get hunters and anglers to work [00:09:10] together for clean air and clean water. Was there original plan to just do something different and just evolve or just [00:09:50] feel let's, we need to do something, let's figure it out and do it. Yeah. Yeah. it was people, this one guy in particular, Mike Finley, who is a career park service guy, really [00:10:00] senior in the park service and ended up, Working for the Turner Foundation, Ted Turner And Sienna. And, the foundation's got this deep commitment to conservation, but also, coming [00:10:10] up with innovative approaches to it and Finley's perspective was that, we need to get other folks involved in conservation. And it was his [00:10:20] idea to reach out to the member organizations that eventually made up Alpha Alliance and see if they were even interested In working together. and that was, there was a theory [00:10:30] that they would, they, if they worked together and had some support, they could find common ground. If they found common ground, they could maybe make a go of this. But that was [00:10:40] it. It wasn't like, let's form an organization. Nah, it was, somebody had a good question. Figure out how to work together and then figure out where it goes from there. That's smart actually, [00:10:50] cuz all the, takes all the pressure off. who knew? there was a good, really wonderful all the organizations Access Fund, American Whitewater. And the have, really punched [00:11:00] above their weight and gotten so much done for their respective communities and protected different parts of the country harnessing the passion of their members in their broader community. What do you think it is about those connections that drive us then to protect them? The natural resources? Is it just because we want to be able to go back and show our kids, or is it a little [00:11:40] more, I don't know, raw than that something just drives us, that it needs to be protected for whatever reason? Yeah,it depends on what do you mean by [00:11:50] protection? do Yeah, that's true. For sure. Like these experiences, when you have an experience there, it becomes, depending on the experience and with whom you're [00:12:00] having the experience. it could be part of your identity, how you see yourself, what your values are, and you know what your identity is and [00:12:10] what's important to you, forms how you spend your time and resources. There's a lot of different things you could do. but if there's. If it relates to your identity, you're more likely to pay [00:12:20] closer attention. And find people that share that identity and share that, that perspective. So on, on one level, you ha you have an experience in a place [00:12:30] someplace is important. You wanna you to pick up, you wanna take care of it in a physical way. Mm-hmm. When When I, mm-hmm. When I I, hike out from, pipe back to the car after I'm done boating, if I [00:12:40] see a bottle, I pick it up and put it in my boat. But then,[00:12:50] all these places that we experience, or many of them are on public lands and public waters. And if you're gonna protect a place at scale in a way that's meaningful [00:13:00] and enduring, it goes beyond picking stuff up off the ground or working on a trailhead. You got involved in the, and being civically engaged. And [00:13:10] learning, about what conservation means and being involved and advocating for these places. And I think that, that type of work it arises is linked with. [00:13:20] Your sense of identity and your sense of values. And so you guys do a great job working with small organizations, but they can only do so much in terms of advocacy. How do you inspire them to work together? How do [00:14:50] you get that coalition of everybody working on the same thing? All right, so it's like the fish, right? The fish, these little fish by themselves, they're doing their thing. But when they [00:15:20] all get together and coordinate and they look like a big, giant fish, that's empowering and you can get a lot of [00:15:30] stuff done. And I think, these smaller organizations, and the member organizations at Alpha Alliance, they're, some of them are pretty, pretty stout, Big staff and big budget. But [00:15:40] they're, you, they all have a national network of local chapters. But the idea of, of, finding common ground across, other colleagues, it's not just limited to the [00:15:50] outdoor space. It's like that's how anything gets done In this country, In a democracy, you gotta find consensus. And I think it's a, this melding of passion for place, and whether it's rivers [00:16:00] or mountains or, trails or the shore, it's different versions of the same thing. And everybody within the community realizes that currency, like this connection of place.[00:16:10] And they, there's also this belief that if we work together now a track record, coupled with that belief that if we do work together, we get more stuff done. You could flex a little [00:16:20] more. You could. informed outcome in a more positive way than if you're just doing your own thing, thinking about, the world from a more of a provincial perspective, right? There's nothing [00:16:30] wrong with that, but the possibility of getting stuff done that's consequential and in line with your values is very alluring. So these next [00:16:50] two questions might be, somewhat similar. The first one is about how the outdoor alliance is structured, and then let's talk about the four directives. Talk about the structure first. [00:17:00] Yeah, for sure. So we're coalition, By, by design and by culture. And the way that we're structured we're, a 5 0 1 We're a non-governmental organization. [00:17:10] And, we're made up of these 10 member organizations. and then in the beginning it was just five, and then we expanded, to welcome in other organizations. So currently it's [00:17:20] the Access Fund, the American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, the International Mountain Bicycle Association, which of wild lands. [00:17:30] The Mountaineers, Winter Wildlands, Mazamas, American Alpine Club, Surfrider Foundation, and Colorado Mountain Club is our newest member. I think they joined back in 2018. [00:17:40] So we're 10 organizations. We've got a board of directors. Some of the member organization CEOs, sit on the board. they've got some seats that kind of [00:17:50] float with the organizations. and we have at large board members, so pretty conventional From that standpoint, but we make sure that leadership for the organization for Outdoor [00:18:00] Alliance is informed by, folks that represent the community directly. and then is also, informed by other folks that are not,work at Surfrider Foundation, for example, or, [00:18:10] so we've got a mix of board members. And, so that's the basic legal structure. and in terms of consensus, there's, I'll look at the world in a slightly different [00:18:20] way, but there's this culture of trying to find common ground. And it takes work. but we're able to find enough common ground. So that we've got plenty of things to do. And [00:18:30] it's like you don't agree on everything, but there's so much we do agree on. Yeah. Focus on that. How often do you get together? [00:18:40] So we get together as a board four times a year. Sometimes via Zoom, sometimes in person. And, and the [00:18:50] folks that are, the policy leads and the communication leads for the member organizations they meet on a weekly basis, Keeps everything current. So very consistent. Um,regular contact [00:19:10] amongst everybody within the coalition. You have four directives, and that meeting every week helps you achieve directive number one. Understand the [00:19:20] issues deeply. If you're getting together that often you can stay on top of them. Tell us a little bit more about what that means. yeah. So we coordinate and run these weekly meetings with, [00:19:30] recall these, Folks, the joint policy shop, the JPS, and it's basically like a think pa, a think tank of outdoor dirt bags, who also are like [00:19:40] policy geniuses and strategic maestros, right? They're, it's like the policy and the comms leadership of all our member organizations. they're professionals, they're part of the community, and we bring [00:19:50] them together and we leverage that expertise to see, figure out like what's going on in Congress, what's going on with the forest service. And what do we think? What [00:20:00] are the opportunities? So that's what keeps things fresh and it enables, consensus and, a collective perspective. Yeah. Yeah. And meeting weekly just, that really [00:20:10] drives that home cuz you never have time to forget. You're back at it. You back at it the next week. That's right. It doesn't go stale. That's awesome. And you build long-term relationships [00:20:20] and trust with all these age people and agencies. How do you do that? Yeah, with, with meeting with people pretty regularly. And it starts with, [00:20:30] convening the leaders of the outdoor community. We meet with ourselves most importantly. cuz that builds trust and it builds a, common perspective on policy priorities. [00:20:40] And, if you're gonna get involved in policy and advocacy, you gotta get a sense of what do you want? What are your outcomes? What are your desires? What is, what does the community want? So we spend a lot of time with the, with [00:20:50] ourselves to figure that out. And then we spend a ton of time working with, policy makers from across the country, like legislators, people that have elected the Congress and their [00:21:00] staff, and. The administration, whoever's in the White House and all the folks that work in the administration and land management agencies like Yeah. Forest Service and Bureau Land Management.[00:21:10] and we meet with all these folks, like pretty consistently, like I think over the last several years we counted, we had about [00:21:20] 400 meetings Over the last few years with policy makers and their staff. And it's us and. the folks from the joint policy shop and that's what we do. [00:21:30] In terms of building these relationships, cuz if you, you just show up cap in hand and you're like, Hey, we want this. Yeah. Or would you consider that? Yeah. You show up every [00:21:40] three months. Yeah. That doesn't work. Yeah. You gotta do it consistently, build a dialogue. They understand your perspectives, who you represent and they know who you are. You guys know who [00:21:50] everybody is with that many times getting together. And that closeness, that's really the other part of it too, is just you really cement those personal relationships, which makes it [00:22:00] easier. Sometimes tougher, but easier in general, I would think. And you guys rely a lot on data to inform the approach [00:22:20] to conversation, who's data, whose conservation data is it? It's, I'm sure there's all kinds of people throwing data at you, right? Yeah, it started with like in the very early days[00:22:30] of Outdoor Alliance. I had a question for the, for the member organizations and it was, Like, where's all this? All the stuff [00:22:40] like where are all the trails, right? The rivers, like I know anecdotally where I go kayaking. And where good mountain bike happens to be. But is it mostly in the Forest Service, [00:22:50] national Forest or blm? Or how important are the parks? And I ask this question because we had to figure out like who do we build relationships with? Which agencies [00:23:00] are the most relevant? And nobody really knew. That anecdotal information AW. On the other hand AW, did know they had a, they maintained a national database [00:23:10] of River, river, Put ins and Whitewater runs. Aws, American Whitewater, we, American Whitewater. That's right. And we realized like, we need to figure this out. And, so we [00:23:20] built out this, GIS lab a number of years ago, and the design is that we would partner with entities that have data. That the [00:23:30] user community used like Mountain Project or Trail Works, and, would be able to use and aggregate that data for policy and advocacy purposes. So we partner with [00:23:40] entities that own the data and they license it to us so we could use it to inform and enhance our advocacy work. And it's been a game changer. So knowing [00:23:50] where climbing routes are if there's a wilderness. Proposed wilderness designation is important. It has an impact on fixed anchors. and then also if you could [00:24:00] immobilize the broader community to protect a place, to be able to get a sense as to, what the intersection is between a landscape and these different pursuits, and by [00:24:10] extension, these different communities is profoundly important. Going back to our earlier conversation, it makes it personal, right? We gotta know where the stuff is, We could [00:24:20] sort through all the things that are going on and identify the things that are the most consequential, the most relevant to our community. And those are the things where we could have the biggest impact.[00:24:30] That must be an amazing database. you guys just have everything in the catalog. It's fairly complete. Like I don't know. I don't think [00:24:40] there's another entity that's got access to, aggregate. All the human powered outdoor pursuits in the way that we do. That's amazing. Now it's not consumer facing. Like those, that's where the apps, if you [00:24:50] wanna know where to ride your bike, if you live in Minnesota, like you're not coming to outdoor lines. You go to the apps. But how much mountain biking is in,[00:25:00] the G mug national forest for the purposes of forest planning. We, that's important. And we were able to get that data and share it with the Forest Service to inform [00:25:10] their decision making. Yeah, It will impact mountain biking, so yeah, that's pretty cool. And you do a lot to [00:26:00] empower individuals to make a difference How does that happen? you guys get together a lot as groups it sounds like. Yeah. And then people go back and do their thing. Are they [00:26:10] empowered to go take what they've learned or what they know and interact locally? I'm sure you want them to do that. Yeah, for sure. For sure. And it's a great [00:26:20] strategic value for the organization to pursue our mission and we do that. Because, we're generous with our expertise. And, public policy is complicated. [00:26:30] Yeah. And there's, why should people know about all the nuance? And, but we do. So what we do is we educate the community and, about what's going on and provide them the tools to speak up [00:26:40] and take action. And community is, They've taken us up on this invitation at scale. over the last several years we've had, I don't know, a quarter million [00:26:50] messages from folks within our community to policy makers, on matters that relate to conservation and sustainable and equitable access. we connect the [00:27:00] dots between what's going on and people's passion. How to show up and they do. And that tell you, Rick, that's huge. Profoundly inspiring. So this next question is a little, uh, not sure. I think this came from a buddy of mine actually, but do policymakers and especially elected [00:27:20] officials really care about what the outdoor community thinks? It seems like sometimes it seems like they do, but then other times you look at what the [00:27:30] results are and go, wow, you didn't even listen to what they said. Y might sound strange, but, look [00:27:40] at the world from an elected official's perspective. Have a little compassion, they got 50 million things coming down. 'em, There's so much going on, and they're [00:27:50] all accountable to at least like six or 700,000 people. You're a Congress person, right? Let alone a whole state, like California. If you're a [00:28:00] senator and it's a hard job, they gotta make these decisions on behalf of their constituents. You know what's in the best interest of the state and the district. And [00:28:10] there's no way you could know all those things. So it goes back to these relationships and you're not gonna make everybody happy. it's just the nature of the job. that's not the job, That's not the job. You gotta pull all the [00:28:20] information in and exercise your judgment and whether you do a good job or not as. revisited, every two years you're your congressperson or six years or four years for the president, [00:28:30] right? But that's the jam. So for them to exercise this judgment, they have to get perspectives and a diverse amount of perspectives and it's perspectives that are informed of people [00:28:40] that know a thing or two about, of protecting the place over what it means. So the, not only do they, they need to listen to us and not just us [00:28:50] to do their job. To be successful at it. yeah, to answer your question directly. Yeah. They very much do care and more so if you're a constituent. And even more so if you know what you're [00:29:00] talking about. Which is like all of us. Cuz we spend time in these places, from these firsthand experiences. And a lot of people might be intimidated to use their voice for advocacy and may end up not doing anything cuz they think their voice doesn't matter. How does their voice make a [00:29:50] difference? Yeah. if you don't show up, think of it this way. You don't show up and don't say what you think. You basically doubled the impact of somebody Yeah. That you don't [00:30:00] agree with. That does show up. So you could think you don't matter, but there are people who don't agree with you and they're showing up. [00:30:10] And it's part of living in a democracy. It's not just voting, it's, sharing what you think. you're helping these elected officials and, policy makers do their job. that's critical. But[00:30:20] think from the perspective of a brand, right? You think about your consumers, you think about your [00:30:30] community, and there's no way you could ever capture what everybody thinks. But it's a relentless pursuit. To figure out [00:30:40] what customers want And what they need. You're modeling things out and you're asking people and you're just like absorbing as much information and you're using that to inform business decisions.[00:30:50] So Congress people do the same thing. Yeah. And if you think that it doesn't matter, like a, policy maker doesn't care what you think, that's.[00:31:00] That makes as much sense as a business thinking that the customer doesn't matter. And the customer's perspective doesn't matter if you believe in that. If you think that's worthy. [00:31:10] Same thing. And how do you guys champion the idea that for businesses and individuals, it's not nearly as difficult or complicated as people think to get [00:31:20] involved? It's pretty simple, really. And you can make a big difference. the first thing is, you look at Congress, what's [00:31:30] 535 elected officials. You got a hundred hundred senators, And all these Congress people. But, you've got three in the federal government. [00:31:40] You've got your congressperson, you've got two senators, and the governor, let's say four. It's four people. It's not hundreds. And you're a constituent. So [00:31:50] that's one way to simplify things instead of just you've heard that, that, that phrase how to eat a whale. one bite at a time. don't try to eat the whole whale. But if you're able to [00:32:00] establish dialogue, with your elected officials as a constituent and as an informed constituent, with you're an individual or whether you're a business, [00:32:10] it's, it's your superpower. They need to listen to you. Just to break it down a little bit, it's, you don't have to do everything well, you have to keep showing up. back to that [00:32:20] baseball analogy, a player gets, I don't know, a thousand, 2000 at bats to bat 300, so they clearly don't get ahead every time, but you just gotta keep showing up and showing up and dropping [00:32:30] your message, that's how get it done. Being patient, thinking about the long game. Dropping your message, but also like listening To like how they're thinking about [00:32:40] things. yeah. What are their other, what their Cs are, right? Yeah. So working businesses and individuals find an organization that kind of reflects their values and partner with them. Do you guys have a big long list? You must,[00:32:50] The 10 members. Those 10. And then they got a big, yeah, they got bigger list. So like I'll, I think. [00:33:00] One, really good starting point is outdoor alliance. We find consensus right. Amongst the 10 member organizations, but the 10 member organizations, they're all like,[00:33:10] complete ballers in this space. They're amazing. And I think using what's important to you in terms of the different pursuits, the different communities, different geographies or typographies, [00:33:20] use that as a filter go hang out with people that you like. And that do things that inspire you. And that's a start. So Outdoor Alliance for sure. That [00:33:30] member organizations and then each of these member organizations, they've got, networks of local organizations Based on your geography. So you [00:33:40] want to go really local, look at one of the EMBA local chapters or a local climbing organization from Access Fund. you wanna look at the Get deep in national policy, [00:33:50] always where to go. Tell us about your favorite outdoor activity, obviously kayaking. Do you have another one? yeah. I love [00:34:00] whitewater kayaking. I compliment that with quite a bit of mountain biking. and as, as wonderful as DC is for, For Whitewater, it's it's not the best for, for skiing. [00:34:10] You gotta go somewhere. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. we've got some local stuff. but, so those are the pursuits, my doing it with people that I care about, my [00:34:20] friends with my kids, that's just what puts it over the top. Do you have any suggestions or advice for folks wanting to work in conservation? for sure. [00:35:10] I think like realizing that conservation and politics are like, They're intertwined in this country. You can't really do [00:35:20] one without the other. And that's because, there's so much of outdoor recreation and kind of the outdoors are on public lands. And public lands are gonna be what happens on public lands. [00:35:30] Whether you can serve these places or develop these places, it's part of a public process. So you can have this desire to protect, but you gotta couple that with a [00:35:40] clear and eye understanding that you know, you gotta get involved in advocacy and. Specifally engaged. And feel okay about that and realize that you're not alone. There are a lot of [00:35:50] organizations that get this space and find some organizations and people that you like, and the path will be, will be made apparent. [00:36:00] Yeah. And if you're listening to this podcast, you probably know a number of people that are doing it already. So you have friends and family just to go help you get in. yeah. [00:36:10] Yeah. learn what you can. from, after Alliance and the member organizations and whoever is doing work that inspires you. There's a good chance they're an NGO and that they're adept at [00:36:20] working with volunteers and people that care about places. you talking about the baseball analogy? Yeah. Showing up, not just to show up at a congress person's office, call your local chapter Surf Rider. [00:36:30] Foundation. That's great. Bonds. Yeah. yep. Yeah, that's how to do it. let's have a little fun now. not that way. What's your [00:36:40] favorite outdoor gear purchase? Under a hundred dollars. Oh my goodness. Under a hundred bucks. Yeah. Huh? yeah, I'd probably [00:36:50] say, A Cliff Bar. Do you have any, do you have a couple of favorite books that are your go-tos all the time? Good with friends and stuff. I think one of my, one of my favorites, one of my favorites is, I love James Baldwin. he's a phenomenal author. The Fire Next Time [00:37:30] is, I think one of my favorites. It's really short. It's like a, it's essentially a letter to his nephew. It's a beautifully written book and, That's maybe 120 pages or something like [00:37:40] that, Oh, wow. Okay. That's just a, that's a wonderful read. and then I think it came out like you wrote in the sixties and that, and something a little more, but it's timeless. yeah. Anything [00:37:50] by James's Baldwin. and then, I guess more, more recently I read this book, the End of the Myth by Greg Grandlin. And, It's a kind of an exploration of this [00:38:00] idea of the frontier in American culture and history and, fascinating. I've learned so much. it's so amazing too, how that [00:38:10] continues, after all these years that this country has been around, how the frontier still drives just something deep down in us that, we just, we all embody it.[00:38:20] Oh yeah. And how it's not just, it was a physical thing and then it became like a cultural, political thing. And, just a fascinating book. Oh, cool. [00:38:30] and I guess one other, now I'm thinking something I've read recently Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Yeah. She, it. Beautifully written book. [00:38:40] Fascinating. okay, so those are three. Yes. For one, those are three, yeah. Perfect. Got 'em. Awesome. We'll link to those all in the show notes. Yeah. as we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to say to, or ask of our listeners? [00:38:50] Oh, just an expression of, of appreciation for all the folks that we either dipping into conservation and advocacy [00:39:00] or the ones and some encouragement to anybody that's curious, It's a warm and welcoming space. We need all the help that we could get and, it's a lot of [00:39:10] fun. I was gonna say, there's a lot of fun to be had while you're doing it too. Follow up Outdoor Alliance Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Adam Linkedin
Luther Propst – Trails, Community Development and Advocacy Key Note at International Trails Summit 2023 #131 Topics: Luther's Backstory and how he got his start in Land Use Planning and Law Working with the World Wildlife Fund Founding the Sonoran Institute Joining the board for both IMBA and the Outdoor Alliance Why Luther Joined the Outdoor Alliance Joining the IMBA Board of Directors Balancing working with riding Trails, Community Development and Advocacy – Key Note Speech The importance of cooperation between user groups for advocacy Bentonville Economic Development through trails How Outdoor Recreation can fill the void with declining resource extraction How Copper Mining Companies are better at creating towns than in modern times How people really started moving for Outdoor Recreation in 2020 and beyond Bozeman and Hamilton Montana The ingredients for a great trail / outdoor community Someone with a vision for the community within the community How not being a ski community warps housing prices less Help to figure out a way for lower income housing for the “Work Force” and people who provide services within the community Coal and Wyoming The comparative advantage of outdoor recreation in rapidly changing economies Talent attraction of highly skilled workers Persuading new allies to support outdoor recreation “Act with Humility and Restraint” What Luther Looks for in a Trail Community Closing Comments and Thank You's Links: Luther Propst: https://lutherfortetoncounty.com/ Sonoran Institute: https://sonoraninstitute.org/ American Trails: https://www.americantrails.org/ Professional Trail Builders Association: https://www.trailbuilders.org/ Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/ IMBA: https://www.imba.com/ Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/ Trail EAffect Show Links: Discount Code (20%) for both KETL Mtn Apparel and Trail One Components: TrailPod Trail EAffect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com KETL Mtn Apparel Affiliate Link: https://ketlmtn.com/josh Trail One Components: https://trailone.bike/ Worldwide Cyclery Affiliate Link: https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/?aff=559 23ZERO USA: https://23zero.com/?avad=355721_d30d44cc9 Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services
Joshua Forsythe was a Corporal Designated Marksmen, point man, and Team Leader with India Company from 2006-2009. During his time in 3/6 he deployed to Fallujah in 2008 with the battalion. After his time in the Marine Corps he began his journey in the outdoors doing everything you can imagine involving the outdoors. Very interesting for anyone that's an outdoorsman!
A central theme in our show is that “Wellness and nature are for all.”Nature is the great equalizer. It does not care about any of the labels that we use to divide and disconnect from one another. We continue to use this platform to discuss the many barriers to accessing nature, which we hope will continue to be points of focus in policy and practice. One of our goals for the show is to be a mouthpiece for the amazing work being done to eliminate barriers and create access and equity for all. Welcome to Episode Fourteen of The Nature of Wellness Podcast. https://natureofwellness.buzzsprout.comWe are extremely excited about this one. On the latest episode, we sat down with Ashley and Durrell Smith, founders of the Minority Outdoor Alliance. This dynamic couple has created something extremely special, using the natural world as a backdrop for “cultivating inclusivity for a healthier outdoors.”Join us as we talk about their incredible journeys into the outdoor world, the importance of bringing nature into a relationship, and creating a more multicultural and collective community in the natural world. The Smiths discuss how to encourage people from diverse backgrounds and cultures to build the outdoors into their lives, the healing that occurs between different groups in nature, and their amazing annual event to celebrate “nature for everyone.” This was truly a conversation for all. Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast. It will help us extend the reach of these powerful messages. https://natureofwellness.buzzsprout.comWe appreciate you all.Be Well-NOWMOA Website: https://www.minorityoutdooralliance.orgMOA Instagram: @minorityoutdoorallianceAshley's Instagram: @ashleysmith_esqThe Sporting Life Notebook Instagram: @thesportinglifenotebook* The Nature of Wellness Podcast is produced by the remarkable Shawn Bell.** The NOW theme song was written, performed, produced, and graciously provided by the incredibly talented Phil and Niall Monahan.
Today on episode 375 I'm talking with Conservation Alliance Executive Director Nicole Rom. Nicole came into the world with Conservation in her DNA. She is leading a tireless staff of conservationists working to harness the collective power of business and outdoor communities to fund and advocate for the protection of North America's wild places. Facebook Twitter Instagram The Outdoor Biz Podcast Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Sign up for my Newsletter HERE. I'd love to hear your feedback about the show! You can contact me here: email: rick@theoutdoorbizpodcast.com or leave me a message on Speakpipe! Presented to by: Show Notes First I want to start with how'd you end up attending Bates College? That's a great question to start off with, I was attracted to a small liberal arts college in Maine. You might not know that Bates has the second oldest outing club. They maintained several miles of the Appalachian Trail and they're a division one Ski team. I was a competitive downhill racer in high school and, was excited with the opportunity to continue that. Then most of all, I was able to be the first class that could study environmental studies as a major. So those were the reasons that drew me to Maine and to Bates in particular. So what was it like to be a Coxswain when on the crew team? I did that my freshman year for something new. I had never had the experience when I was in high school. I primarily skied and I'll just start by saying it's a perfect position for somebody who is short, loud, and enthusiastic, and I fit all of those criteria. You're essentially the captain of the boat that you're on. I was often a coxswain for the women's eight or the men's four and you're responsible for steering, setting the pace for the row. Counting for power motions, when you need to step up the pace when you're in a competition. And obviously one of my highlights was participating in the head of the Charles in Boston, one of the renowned rowing races. So that was a fun experience I did for a year. You're essentially the bow captain. People don't realize you're facing forward. You're the one that can see everything. The rowers are facing you and you're the one that sets the pace, the tone, and make sure that the boat is going straight and, emphasizing when there's time to do power strokes to move you forward in a competition. How were you introduced to the Outdoors? I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and grew up in Park City. So I learned to downhill ski at the age of three. My parents eventually moved to the East coast when I was in elementary school, but I essentially grew up in a family that really valued skiing and camping, and the outdoors. I particularly remember every Sunday was spent during my childhood hiking and doing something as a family outside. But mostly I would say my real connection to the outdoors is because I moved from Utah to Maryland to New York, and of course lived in Maine during college. My family consistently went back to Minnesota where my dad grew up in Ely, Minnesota or the gateway to the boundary waters canoe area wilderness. We'd go there twice a year in the winter and in the summer and it was the boundary waters that really laid the foundation. I had studied abroad my junior year in Tanzania and was really, moved by the experience studying wildlife ecology and conservation and learning Swahili. And I thought I'm going to apply to the Peace Corps. Unbeknownst to me, I thought I'd go back to East Africa since I had spent six months there and they ended up looking at my application and said, you've got really great experience in environmental education, we could use a volunteer like you in Kazakhstan. And so of course, first I had to pull out a map and learn where Kazakhstan was, right? I had never heard of it. And then I, as I learned more, I thought, wow, what an amazing opportunity to live in a former Soviet Republic. I served from 2000, 2002, so it was the eighth group of Americans ever in that country. Wow. Literally eight years after the Soviet Union collapsed, they began sending volunteers every year. And while I was there, there was still a lot of the legacy of the Soviet Union in terms of weekly lines to get your flour and your basic food ingredients. So, while they were moving into a democratic nation, there was still a lot of that legacy. Russian was the dominant language, which I had the opportunity to learn. And I was there for two years teaching ecology to fifth through 11th grade. I, helped manage an after-school ecology club for the high school and executed a few fun summer camps. And what sticks out to this day was my connection with students and, Their passion and love for the mountains. Kazakhstan, just so our listeners understand, you've got the prairie step in the predominant part of the country, and then the Tien Shan Mountain range in the south that are the beginning of the Himalayas. The mountains rise up to 20,000 feet and I was lucky enough to be in the southeastern part of the country in those mountains. So I bought cross-country skis and I took from my kids hiking in the local mountain and we volunteered at the local nature preserve at their naturalist program and interpretive center, it was an incredible experience. Was there a trip or activity or person that inspired the conservation in you? Two things come to mind. The first, was when I did an Outward Bound course in Colorado when I was 15, turning 16. It was the first time I did an experience like that with peers and with my parents. And I quickly realized that the outdoors and adventure is a lot more fun when you're with folks your own age than being dragged along. That was sort of a period in time, I think anyone who's a teenager can remember what it's like. During my high school years, there was a period of time where I would take my, then Walkman, now iPod to listen to music, was dragged along hikes that I didn't want to do. And when I had that experience, I realized I really took it on as something that I loved for my own. And I got into climbing after that. So that was the moment that it became something that I loved and not just something spoon-fed to me by my parents. And the other, person that really sticks out beyond my grandparents was when I was at Bates. I had the amazing opportunity to meet Terry Tempest Williams. Somebody I deeply admire and love and obviously read her books and being born in Utah, understanding Red Rock country and the Great Salt Lake. Meeting her was really, life-changing. We had the opportunity to take a sunrise hike with her while she was visiting and doing a talk. And I remember specifically the talk that she gave at the school, which connected all of the courses that I was taking at the time, and helped me really realize that I could choose environmental studies as a major and as a career path. And it wasn't just something I could enjoy reading or doing on the side, that it actually could go from passion and interest to career. And your work and your experience seemed focused on climate, how did that develop over the years versus other, some other environmental subject? Yeah, so after the Peace Corps, I returned back to the US and pursued graduate school in environmental policy and landed my first job at the National Wildlife Federation, so a large conservation award. I was, really managing their conservation education programming in the Midwest and the Upper Great Lakes. And it was at that time, 2004, 2005 before Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth came out that NWF and a lot of the large conservation and green environmental orgs were starting to realize they needed to, prioritize climate change as an issue and some were wrapping their arms around it quicker than others. And at that point, I had this amazing opportunity. My Aunt Becky, who was heavily involved in the boundary waters, had worked closely with a man named Will Steger. The National Geographic Arctic Explorer, who they had worked collaboratively with on protecting the Arctic Refuge in the nineties. Will was often brought to Congress to testify on issues of the Arctic. He was starting a new nonprofit focused on Climate Change. She called me and said, Nicole, I think you'd be perfect. Will Steger is starting this org focused on climate change, education, and policy, and, you should explore it. So I came to Minnesota in May of 2006 for an interview. I had never met Will Steger before. I remember my interview was on his houseboat on the Mississippi River with ducks floating by, and I thought, this is the weirdest interview I've ever done. And he had small grants for $35,000 and this grand vision to really address climate change and no real plan for how to do it. I was 27, going on 28 and I thought, what an amazing opportunity to be the executive director of a new organization. So I moved to Minnesota from Michigan where I was living at the time, excited to be closer to my grandparents in the boundary waters and literally thought I would be working with Will for one or two years. I'd learn a lot and I'd move on, and I ended up staying in that role for 15 and a half years until I recently left last year and joined the Conservation Alliance. And so the Conservation Alliance recently announced an inaugural summit this May to advance business-led conservation in partnership with the Next 100 Coalition, Outdoor Alliance, and the Outdoor Industry Association. Can you share a little bit about that? Yeah. We're super excited to make this dream a reality in 2023. So all Conservation Alliance members can send one staff member for free. It's going to be held, as you said, in late, may in Colorado. And our goal with the summit is to really celebrate the conservation successes we've had to educate and empower and unite our member businesses and their employees, both old and new, around a shared equitable land and water conservation agenda. And so themes will include climate. , biodiversity, equity, access, recreation, and of course rural economic development. And for us, the summit's not just a conference and a chance to come together after several years living in the pandemic and, missing that opportunity. It's about engagement and [00:20:00] educating our members, but most importantly, providing a platform for our business leaders to be more effective advocates for conservation. So how can brands participate? Well, the first thing I'll say is that any business that cares about conservation can join the Conservation Alliance regardless of industry or size. Obviously, the outdoor industry is core to the organization, to our founding, and to who we are and who will continue to be. But the organization's continuing to see that we need to increase our impact for conservation. We have to diversify and grow our member business. and that there's power in our collective collaboration and that, collective multiplier. And really we want those who value, the protection of wild places and outdoors to join us. So if a company is doing even less than a million in annual revenue, it costs as little as $500 to join the Conservation Alliance. And it's a way for, member companies to align their brand with an organization that's both funding and advocating for wild places and outdoor places. It's just a super exciting time to see the impact the Conservation Alliance has had over the last 30 years, but more specifically the last 15 years where we've invested over, a million dollars into some of these key priority campaigns, and now we're seeing the success of that effort come to fruition in 23. let's talk about what else is new for the Conservation Alliance in 2023. What else have you guys got going on? One of the exciting things that have been shifting is how we, deploy our grant-making dollars. from investing in a few priority campaigns. As I mentioned, some of those we're just seeing successes on the Boundary Waters and Bristol Bay and the Tongass, and Bear's Ears. Seeing the National Monument reinstated under the Biden administration. All of these were long-standing commitments of the Conservation Alliance, but some of the new things that we are deeply passionate about are equity and access. Two years ago, we launched our Confluence grant-making program to invest. Historically racially excluded groups to really fund organizations with budgets under 500,000 led by black, indigenous, and communities of color, to bring, more diversity and representation into the conservation movement. so that's an exciting new addition for us. And of course, the summit is a new effort for us to really bring our member community together under one umbrella to unite around, a shared agenda. As listeners listening to all this, I think it's inspiring to me, what are some things, two or three things that we can do maybe personally or directly in our home hometowns to help mitigate the climate issues? I often think of actions in three ways. Your choices, your voice, and your vote. How you spend your dollars, the companies that are aligned with your values, and choosing to invest with every dollar you spend, how you spend that money matters and sends a signal. What's next on your adventure list? So right before the pandemic, I finished visiting all 50 states, which is a goal of mine. That was really fun. Now I'm always eyeing both domestic and international adventures. I'm keen to visit all the national parks and several monuments for sure, but what's next on my list this year is trekking in the Dolomites in Italy. I'm a big fan of the Hut To Hut system in Europe. And then, I'm also exploring backpacking in the Wind River range in Wyoming, for a more local adventure. Do you have any daily adventures or daily routines to keep your sanity? Oh, I do have a daily yoga practice. Sometimes it's as short as, 15 minutes but it's at least 30. That keeps me sane because my mind is always going a mile a minute, and that just grounds me. Because I live in Minnesota, I am doing a lot of shoveling. What are one or two books that you've read that inspire the conservationists in you and might help us? I'm going to pick some oldies, but goodies. Desert Solitaire by Ed Abbey. It was definitely a game changer for me reading that in the nineties. Anything by Terry Tempest Williams, of course, I love, but I started with Refuge, uh, her book about, breast cancer and generations of women and the Great Salt Lake. She's just a beautiful writer about natural history and, conservation. And then, Bill McKibben, the End of Nature. He published in 1980 about climate change, and he's written several books since then. But, The End of Nature is a great book if you haven't read it already. Do you have a favorite piece of outdoor gear that's under a hundred dollars? I just got back from Costa Rica and the one thing that I took with me that I was so thankful for, and I always have with me, is my, it's super light collapsible REI backpack that compresses down not much bigger than your fist. I just love that I can throw that in and use it whenever I'm traveling, especially if I'm not taking a larger backpack. Do you have any suggestions or advice for folks wanting to get into the outdoor adventure biz or conservation biz? I always say start with your own network. Whether it's through college or school or friends, or family. You'll never know where your network can take you. Base Camp Outdoors is a fabulous job board for those who are looking to get into the outdoor industry and conservation. And then the Futurist Project is a really remarkable outdoor leadership program for those looking for mentorship, post-college. But my biggest piece of advice that I would want to leave listeners with is "remember to follow your passions and interests. There's a way to have them lead you into a career that you love." As we wrap up, is there anything else you'd like to say to our listeners or ask of our listeners? Yeah, I think if you work at a company, check out the Conservation Alliance and become a member. And if you're already an employee at a member company, just want to see you get more engaged with our lobby trips and nominating and voting on our grantees. You can definitely learn more at the Conservation Alliance, website, but, mostly for everyone else listening, I think while individual actions matter, and I always want to encourage people to do things like I mentioned before about your voice, your choice, your vote, remember that collective action is far more powerful. Where can people find you if they'd like to follow up? They can find me on Instagram at @nroutdoors, or nicole@conservationalliance.com and of course, LinkedIn when you think about networking, that's a great place and I'm happy to connect with folks on LinkedIn.
Adam Cramer is the founder and CEO of the Outdoor Alliance. At the Outdoor Alliance, they mobilize the power of outdoor enthusiasts to protect public lands and waters. As Adam calls it, "conservation powered by outdoor recreation, so to speak." In this episode, Adam and Cole chat about inciting change, the importance of storytelling in conservation, and how to join the fight for conservation as a brand in an effective way. Learn more about the Outdoor Alliance here. This podcast is brought to you by Port Side Productions. If you work at a brand or agency in the outdoor industry that needs help bringing a video project to life, head over to portsidepro.com and send us an email. We'd love to help!
Today on the Outdoor Adventure Series, our guest is Tracy Hajduk, the National Education Coordinator for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.She has worked for NOAA for the past 13 years, coordinating national partnerships to help increase ocean and climate literacy and access to the national marine sanctuaries through education. Topics We Discussed How students who are not near a sanctuary can still get engaged.What teachers can do if they want to use more ocean and Great Lake resources in their classrooms.What makes you hopeful for the future with what you see in the youth today?Aha MomentFor me, the most concrete time is seeing the youth I have worked with really take things and positively absorb things. Whether it is an intern who now knows this is the career path for them or hearing that something I helped create got the attention of a student who typically isn't as engaged and was asking questions about the ocean and participating is what I find most rewarding. I also enjoy when I can help lift my colleagues and help celebrate their work.Insight2goIt constantly amazes me the different ways the ocean connects us all. It has many meanings to many people, from jobs, food, business, fun, exploration, and spiritual and emotional ways. I'm in awe of how people across the earth are connected by this large global ocean and how it connects us in such a powerful way".Media & Resourceshttps://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/mar22/women-in-ocean-careers/profiles.html https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/dec20/every-kid-outdoors.htmlThe Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program - This scholarship provides support for master's and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology—these may include but are not limited to ocean and/or coastal: engineering, social science, marine education, marine stewardship, cultural anthropology, and resource management disciplines—and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.To learn more about the Outdoor Alliance for Kids, click here.Next Steps To learn more about the National Marine Sanctuaries, visit their websites at https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/. To experience an immersive 360 view of your national marine sanctuaries, Sanctuaries 360°: Explore the Blue, visit their website at https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/vr/.Click here to learn more about the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.The Outdoor Adventure Series is a podcast production of Fox Coaching, Inc.
Welcome to the first episode of our four-part series discussing the impacts of wildfire on recreation, sponsored by Protect Our Winters! For this episode, Jamie Ervin of the Outdoor Alliance walked us through the myriad ways that wildfires create barriers to recreation access and enjoying the outdoors. From air quality impacts to forest closures, Jamie talks about what recreationists can continue to expect from worsening wildfire seasons, while also talking about why it's important to remember fire's place in many of the landscapes we all love to recreate in. Jamie has a background in wildfire policy and currently works as a policy associate for the Outdoor Alliance—making him a perfect guest guide us through the growing relevance of how wildfires will continue to impact recreation and public lands access, as well as what we can do about it. Protect our Winters is a climate advocacy organization that engages the outdoor community in on-the-ground and legislative climate action. We encourage you to check out their website, where you can pledge to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, learn more about what they do as well as how to support them. You can learn more about the Outdoor Alliance here.If you're feeling extra benevolent today, consider becoming a Patron and donating to the Life with Fire Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lifewithfirepod
Guest: Adam Cramer is the founding Executive Director and present CEO of Outdoor Alliance, a national coalition of outdoor recreation advocacy groups that has breathed new life into the conservation movement by harnessing the outdoor community's passion for place and combining it with a modern approach to organizing and digital engagement. During his time as CEO, Adam has brought new sensibilities to conservation work that have resulted in hundreds of thousands more acres of protected landscapes, improved management for outdoor recreation, and thousands of outdoor enthusiasts awakened to conservation and advocacy work. He is an avid whitewater kayaker and mountain biker, but is always on the lookout for a good skatepark. Adam lives in Maryland with his wife and two kids Show notes: On Friday, August 12, 2022, Congress passed the largest ever climate package in the Inflation Reduction Act, an absolute landmark piece of legislation. Channel Mastery has never done an episode on any sort of legislation before today; but know that this show was prioritized. Why? Because of the landmark impact that the IRA is destined to have on our businesses. What's more, this is a far-reaching (both in scope and timeframe) bill that will create new awareness among our consumers – the outdoor recreation enthusiast. Channel Mastery is 100-percent about understanding our brand fans and target consumers and this bill will ‘train' them to expect more responsible businesses and brand practices concerning climate mitigation going forward. The bill is sweeping and complex, and we've procured the perfect guide for our episode today in Adam Cramer, the CEO of the Outdoor Alliance, the only non-profit organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands and ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. The Outdoor Alliance connects conservation with climate, which positions Adam's perspective as critical to you, Channel Mastery's executive audience of outdoor rec business leaders. The Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of national advocacy organizations that includes American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. The Inflation Reduction Act will be on President Biden's desk by the time you listen to this show, but the interview you're about to hear in episode 192 is evergreen in that it underscores a tipping point moment in climate and conservation. Paul Krugman, Opinion Columnist with The New York Times, in his piece “Did Democrats just Save Civilization?” wrote: “This is a very big deal. The act isn't, by itself, enough to avert climate disaster. But it is a huge step in the right direction and sets the stage for more action in the years ahead. It will catalyze progress in green technology; its economic benefits will make passing additional legislation easier; it gives the United States the credibility it needs to lead a global effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions.” Senator John Hickenlooper (D) Colorado, summed up the bill in his newsletter by describing it as the largest climate rescue investment by any country ever. The Outdoor Alliance website has informative summary blog posts about the IRA, outlining how the $373 billion funding package will mitigate climate change through investments that will accelerate our transition to clean energy. The bill also includes billions of dollars for wildfire mitigation, forest management, and conservation. While this hard-fought legislative win most certainly benefits humanity as a whole, it's crucial to highlight what this means to the business of outdoor recreation and how we, as corporate citizens, have an opportunity and responsibility to step up and heap on awareness and visibility of what's going to emerge from this game-changing legislation. Whether it's sharing the details and impact of the IRA on the health of the planet and the places we cherish as outdoor recreationalists with our internal teams or on how your brand and reach can further the traction on climate change mitigation, the time to elevate this to our important stakeholders in our outdoor rec businesses is now. Also, note that consumers will vote with their dollars more than ever before as the road to doing the right thing will be highlighted in the coming months and years, thanks to the IRA. The Channel Mastery podcast is presented by Verde Brand Communications and Life Time, Inc., owner of the Sea Otter Classic and producer of the Sea Otter Classic Summit outdoor recreation executive gathering, taking place April 18-20, 2023, in Monterey, Calif. Links: Show sponsors: Verde Brand Communications, Life Time, Inc. The Outdoor Alliance website makes it easy to thank local / state Lawmakers and has numerous blog posts about climate and conservation, and the many bridges between the IRA and outdoor recreation The New York Times, Did Democrats just Save Civilization? August 8, 2022, Paul Krugman The National Wildlife Federation writes “Inflation Reduction Act a “Historic” Win for Climate, Wildlife As Congress funds high-tech climate solutions, it also bets on a low-tech one: Nature
When you get right down to it, what we admire most about this month's podcast guest, Dave Wiens, is his simple but deep passion for trails. Trails and trailwork connect just about everyone who likes outdoor recreation, from climbers to hikers to mountain bikers. Speaking of mountain biking, Wiens is also the executive director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and founder of Gunnison, Colorado-based local advocacy group Gunnison Trails. Dave recognizes the importance and benefits of having access to trails for all recreational enthusiasts. Dave and our host, Peter, get into Dave's early days with Gunnison Trails and his current work with IMBA. They discuss IMBA's aspiration to provide equitable access to trails through its “Close to Home” initiative and its support for the “Trails are Common Ground” initiative. Dave is a great storyteller, and his intimate knowledge of trail-based recreation provides many learning opportunities not just for climbers, but anyone who values access to trails. 4:37 - Dave's intro & the Gunnison Valley 7:16 - Gunnison Trails & Hartman Rocks 17:01 - Gunnison Trails' early projects 27:40 - Mountain biking & wildlife 31:41 - “System” trails 38:12 - IMBA & more local advocacy 45:38 - Dave's start at IMBA 53:17 - IMBA's mission 58:04 - IMBA bringing trail access “close to home” 1:06:37 - “Building” a climbing community 1:11:21 - Trails for Common Ground 1:23:54 - Climbers & Trails for Common Ground 1:26:06 - LCOs and IMBA's local chapters IMBA's website: https://www.imba.com/ IMBA's Instagram: @imba_us IMBA's “Close to Home” Initiative: https://www.imba.com/our-focus Gunnison Trails website: https://gunnisontrails.org/ Gunnison Trails Instagram: @gunnisontrails Trails Are Common Ground: https://trailsarecommonground.org/ Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/
In episode 29 of the Outdoor Minimalist Podcast, we are talking about regulation in the outdoor industry and what that looks like. Now, this is a topic that has always interested me but I didn't know a ton about. It could arguably be the 8th R of Outdoor Minimalism (and maybe I will add it one day), but because regulation plays such a big role in environmental policy and how we play outside, it was very fitting topic for the show. Since it is something I am far from an expert in, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jeff Bairlein. Jeff Baierlein is the Director of Viristar, an organization that provides training and consulting services to outdoor, travel, experiential, and adventure programs around the world. Viristar specializes in wilderness risk management and outdoor safety training and audits, nonprofit management consulting, wilderness medicine, and environmental education program and curriculum design. Jeff has a background in environmental advocacy, outdoor-focused lobbying at the state and federal level, and analysis of regulatory and management systems for effectiveness. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/ WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/ PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/outdoorminimalist ----------------------------- Lava Linens Discount Code for 15% off your next purchase: OUTDOORMINIMALIST VIRISTAR WEBSITE: https://www.viristar.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ViristarConsulting/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/viristarHQ LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viristar/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/viristarconsulting/ ----------------------------- EPISODE RESOURCES Earthjustice: https://earthjustice.org/ Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/ Association for Experiential Education: https://www.aee.org/ Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education: https://www.aore.org/ How to Save A Planet podcast episode “Is Your Carbon Footprint BS:”
Minority Outdoor Alliance - Modern Carnivore Podcast (EP:037) This episode of the Modern Carnivore Podcast was recorded at Pheasant Fest 2022 with Durrell Smith and Kris Rockwell of the Minority Outdoor Alliance (MOA) and Colby Kerber from Pheasants Forever / Quail Forever. Durrell and his wife Ashley created MOA following the killing of George Floyd in 2020 as a way to help those who are under-represented in the outdoors. The goal is to get more people outdoors and experience the wonderful ways these experiences can add richness to life. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming months as Modern Carnivore and Pheasants Forever / Quail Forever will be doing more with Durrell and MOA. These projects will help get more people from all backgrounds into the outdoors. In October of 2021 Durrell and Ashley Smith (co-founders of the Minority Outdoor Alliance) presented Jared Ungar with the first-ever Corey Rockwell Bird Dog, Literacy, & Conservation Development Award on behalf of MOA and the S. Kent Rockwell Foundation. Durrell and Ashley Smith present Jared Ungar with the very first Corey Rockwell Bird Dog, Literary, & Conservation Development Award Other Modern Carnivore Podcast episodes: https://modcarn.com/new-hunter-stories-mcp-ep020/ https://modcarn.com/ryan-busse-gunfight-mcp-ep032/ Check out the latest Outdoor Feast Podcasts! https://modcarn.com/aaron-kindle-ofp027/ https://modcarn.com/kristen-schmitt-ofp026/
Swarovski Optik presents: Living with Nature. In this episode we hear from Lindsey Davis. A friend of the show, she is contributor to Modern Hunstman, an ecologist, an advocate of citizen science, and the current vice president of the Outdoor Alliance, to mention just a few of the things she is involved in. Questions: 1/How do you connect to nature on a regular basis? 2/Do you have a good example of how companies, people or organisations are helping to rebuild the bridge and connection between people and nature? 3/Is there a conservation story happening right now that you are particularly passionate about? 4/Is there someone who inspires you and/or is doing great work in the outdoors space? 5/Do you have a stand-out memory connecting with nature? In association with Swarovski Optik Presented by Modern Huntsman More info www.byronpace.com Support the podcast on Patreon
On this Outdoor Explorer, our guest will be Lee Hart, Executive Director of Alaska Outdoor Alliance, an organization that advances the political and economic power of outdoor recreation in Alaska. The outdoor economy is an under- recognized economic driver in our state with the average Alaskan spending almost $5000 per year on outdoor gear and services.
2:30 - The history of Mazamas 5:30 - How to lead through change while maintaining the soul of the organization8:45 - The role as Acting Executive Director 11:15 - How to adapt and create new opportunities in the light of Covid-1917:30 - Increasing diversity in the outdoors 21:30 - The complexity of permits and being actively engaged in the topic 25:00 - Being a member of Outdoor Alliance and having a voice in legislation matters related to the outdoors 28:00 - Being a female leader in a male-dominated space 31:30 - Feeling pride in the purpose of the organization 33:30 - An organization that also provides a community 37:00 - Advice on how to lead a volunteer organization LINKSSarah Bradham on LinkedInLearn more about the MazamasCREDITSProduced by Emma HolmstromMusic by Isaac Chambers – ‘Change'
Outdoor Alliance panel: Making Outdoor Recreation Accessible for All California Recycling and Plastic Pollution Reduction Voter Act Coral Research Conducted at BIOS Email: dbense-kang@surfrider.org for podcast suggestions, questions etc!
Durrell Smith is a bird dog trainer, artist, podcaster and writer from Georgia. He founded the Minority Outdoor Alliance, a pioneering voice in connecting Blacks and others in the hunting community. “He lives what he speaks,” as Hal says of Durrell, who is also a bobwhite quail hunting fanatic, guiding and chasing birds largely on public lands. Through his work and pursuits, he is carrying on an incredible lineage of Southern quail hunting and dog training, giving voice to the deeply enmeshed and influential role of Blacks in Southern outdoor traditions. Listen as Hal and Durrell wander through the South, discuss Southern art and sporting culture, and consider the crucial role of diverse participants in keeping our outdoor heritage healthy and relevant.
Development is in the works at Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, a group of more than 80 independent outdoor retailers. President Rich Hill is driven by a desire to give independent stores the same resources and support that larger chains enjoy. He joins host Kristin Hostetter for a conversation about the new business and DEI tools Grassroots is excited about. Watch the edited video interview here.
We kick off with an update on the Modern Huntsman Field Outrider photography competition, before diving into a deep conversation with writer, citizen scientist and board member of the Outdoor Alliance, Lindsey B. Davis. From ecology and permaculture to embracing indigenous knowledge in land management, we talk about her road-kill to hunter journey and the time she testified in front of Congress. What a show. What a guest. Field Outrider competition: www.moderhuntsman.com For more info visit: www.byronpace.com Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/byronpace Lindsey Davis Instagram: @lindsey.browne.davis www.outdooralliance.org
Luke sits down and talks to Lindsey Browne Davis who works for The Outdoor Alliance. We talk about her work in permaculture projects, citizen wildlife research projects, and her journey as an adult onset hunter.
This week Tom O’Keefe from American Whitewater joins us to talk about river closures and river openings. Tom is the Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director with American Whitewater and a hero for whitewater paddlers who enjoy access to rivers. News of the week Sign up for the Outdoor Alliance webinar about responsible recreation on May 5th […]
Steve is currently the President for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Prior to that he was executive director at Outward Bound USA for five years. He also is a former executive director of The Access Fund, a national nonprofit advocating for conservation and recreation; membership director and interim CFO for The American Alpine Club; and founder and chairman of The Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of national outdoor recreation programs. He has also been an independent strategic business consultant for nonprofit organizations, business incubators, venture development organizations, small businesses and private equity firms. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevematous/ National Interscholastic Cycling Association- www.nationalmtb.org On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalmtb --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/executiveathletes/support
In this episode, we sit down with Kaci from The Car Camping Queen. Kaci has spent a lot of time volunteering and advocating for our public lands. Kaci works a 40-hour week and still is able to travel to places like Michigan, Montana, and even Alaska, to volunteer to help build and maintain trails. She has also traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocated for public lands. And she provides some great tips on how anyone and everyone can get involved. She proves you don't have to wait until retirement to find the time to give back. Find her at: TheCarCampingQueen.com Or on Facebook or Instagram @thecarcampingqueen Other resources mentioned are: The American Hiking Society, AmericanHiking.org The Outdoor Alliance, OutdoorAlliance.org
Help Stop Harmful Ocean Desalination in Los AngelesTake action on climate change and ocean health - oppose the proposed LA ocean desalination project!Surfrider Joins the Outdoor Alliance in Pledging Support for Public LandsThe Land Water Conservation Fund Needs Your HelpShore Hotel's egregious flaunting of the Coastal ActActCoastal, the Coastal Commission Accountability Project
Discussion about the Charlotte Outdoor Alliance and Project Healing Waters with the #outdoorguys.
In this episode, we auction off a Dagger Outburst to raise money for the Boise Whitewater Park and Outdoor Alliance! Of...
In this episode, we auction off a Dagger Outburst to raise money for the Boise Whitewater Park and Outdoor Alliance! Of...
In Episode 43 of District of Conservation, Gabriella chats with Cody McLaughlin—a Republican political operative by day, outdoorsman and conservationist by night and weekend. Cody sits on the board of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. He was recently recognized as a "30 Under 30: The Green Generation" winner and Insider NJ's 2019 Insider 100 winner. He discusses the following on today's episode: His background and how he got hooked on fishing and hunting Why New Jersey has great fishing and hunting opportunities His work as a Republican political operative and how he reconciles it with conservation An update on the black bear hunt ban and where it stands legally and politically Why conservatives can be conservationists His recent trip to the White House His favorite fish to catch and upcoming hunting plans for fall 2019 Notes: Cody's work profile at The Prosper Group His write-up on a recent experience at the White House with other conservationists and outdoor group representatives. Cody's work in Save Jersey, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum, and Bearing Arms Follow him on Twitter.
After more than 50 years of bipartisan support, Congress failed to re-authorize the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the fall of 2018. LWCF grants have protected over 2.3M acres of natural areas and cultural heritage sites and provided recreational opportunities to all Americans across the 50 states. With more than $22 billion on the table, the team at Outdoor Alliance, comprised of avid kayakers, climbers and all-around (reformed) dirtbags, are faced with the daunting task of convincing Congress to reauthorize the funding amidst a contentious political climate.
This episode's guest was Access Fund Senior Policy Advisor Jason Keith. Based in Moab, Utah, Jason wears multiple hats in his line of work. He runs a small nonprofit called Public Land Solutions. They work to maximize recreation assets within local communities by supporting effective public land solutions (hence the name). He also is a professional advocate for the national climbing community as Access Fund's policy director. Jason spends a lot of his time working with political figures to influence policies that impact climbing resources. Jason's knowledge and passion for climbing advocacy is obvious, and he had so much to say that the episode had to be broken up into two parts. In part 1 of the episode, we focused on the Emery County Public Land Management Act, which was a big part of the public lands package and bolting in wilderness. We finished the episode discussing the current affairs surrounding Bears Ears National Monument, which will be released as part two next week. Enjoy the first part of my conversation with Jason Keith! Public Lands Solutions: https://publiclandsolutions.org/ Outdoor Alliance: https://www.outdooralliance.org/ News on the public lands package: https://www.accessfund.org/news-and-events/news/president-signs-public-lands-bill-wilderness-climbing-protections-written-into-law
Subscription Options: Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/amongstit-inc/id1095013227?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/john-grace/the-hammer-factor?refid=stpr RSS Direct Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HammerFactor Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNW1jev8xx84dc05QZGqKA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hammerfactor/? GOOD MORNING EVERAHBAHDDDY Intros and light banter....
Subscription Options: Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/amongstit-inc/id1095013227?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/john-grace/the-hammer-factor?refid=stpr RSS Direct Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HammerFactor Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNW1jev8xx84dc05QZGqKA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hammerfactor/? GOOD MORNING EVERAHBAHDDDY Intros and light banter....
"The reason that I was able to do it is because I was incredibly naive," says Lucas St. Clair. "I had no idea how much work it was going to be, when I started. Not a clue." The thing Lucas did: work to establish Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in the North Woods of Maine. We started this "Endangered Spaces" series for two reasons. First, we want to take a deeper look at a handful of important, active land battles. Second, and every bit as important, we want to follow the stories of a handful of people who, in their own, quirky ways, have stepped up to protect the threatened spaces they hold dear. For Lucas, the endangered space wasn't the land he was working to protect, but the communities that surround it. The comment period for the 27 monuments on Zinke's list ends July 10th. Outdoor Alliance makes it easy to speak out for the places that are important to you. To plan your trip to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, visit Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters.
In 2016, we conducted an extensive series of interviews and surveys to find out how OIA—the outdoor industry’s membership trade association—can best support outdoor companies. What we learned is that our members see us as a convener—the unifying entity best equipped to galvanize the industry around three important issues: policy, participation and sustainable business. We then identified individuals who are already working to move the needle on those issues within their respective companies. Today you’ll hear from three of those individuals - They’ve watched the industry grow and mature, and they’re fiercely committed to protecting it. They’ve joined the voices of their organizations: OIA, Outdoor Alliance and Conservation Alliance to advocate for public lands. The only thing that rivals their love of the outdoors is their love for public policy. They are Alex Boian, Adam Cramer and John Sterling, and they demonstrate that through collaboration, our industry as a whole can do more so much more than a single company or individual can do alone. That is the concept behind our new campaign and our strategic vision: Together We Are A Force. Want to learn more about these individuals and the work OIA is doing to foster collaboration throughout the industry and to catalyze change? Visit outdoorindustry.org/outdoorist to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and our Audio Outdoorist podcast.
If you are a backcountry skier Mark Menlove is someone you should know. As the executive director of Winter Wildlands Alliance, Mark works tirelessly to protect the wild winter landscapes on which we love to ski. Additionally he is a seasoned conservationist, backcountry ski guide, and outdoor writer. He has been a leading voice for quiet recreation and is a co-founder of the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of national human-powered recreation organizations. Mark’s passion for skiing runs deep, and we (the backcountry ski community) are lucky to have him as a leading voice, speaking up for backcountry skiing on local & national levels. In this episode we chat with Mark about growing up in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, leaving the corporate world to pursue creative writing, becoming the ‘voice of winter,’ and building a backcountry ski community.
“Climbing and the American Alpine Club have grown substantially over the last 10 years, and this growth allows us to do more of what we want to do: more good in the world.” --Phil Powers LISTEN: Outdoor Entrepreneurism, Education, and Activism with Phil Powers Famed climber and alpinist Phil Powers has pioneered thirty personal expeditions around the globe, including the first ascent of the Washburn Face of Denali and climbing K2 without supplemental oxygen. His visionary leadership and roles as entrepreneur and educator in the outdoor industry have grown equally influential. Phil currently serves as the CEO of the American Alpine Club, where he has vastly expanded the organization’s membership base and education and conservation efforts. Phil formerly served as the vice president for institutional advancement at Naropa University and worked for seventeen years with the National Outdoor Leadership School as chief mountaineering instructor and development/partnerships director. An entrepreneur and author, Phil also owns Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and wrote NOLS Wilderness Mountaineering. In this episode of the Take Me Outdoors podcast, Verde founder and CEO Kristin Carpenter-Ogden sits down with this mountaineering, climbing and outdoor industry legend to talk about the role of the outdoor industry in conservation and outdoor activism in a rapidly changing political climate. They also discuss how to the AAC works to improve climbing safety and education as the sport continues to diversify and grow, so that everyone can get outside. Phil shares what he learned working for NOLS for 17 years and mountaineering around the world; how he became an author; how business taught him to pause and be mindful; and ultimately, why despite all of his epic adventures, Phil would rather be rock climbing in the sun with his family. Phil is a visionary and inspiration to everyone excited about getting outdoors and preserving the planet, and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did! Bulletpoints: Established in 1902 by climbers and conservationists, the American Alpine Club (AAC) is a goods and services organization that supports climbing and climbing landscapes. In addition to providing lodging and rescue services for its members, AAC plays an instrumental role in conservation, advocacy, and encouraging people to get outside through grants and education. After expanding its membership from 4,000 to 18,000 over the past 10 years, AAC is capitalizing on its blossoming base to do more good in the world, especially by deepening its commitment to public policy. AAC advocates for federal policies that protect and preserve public lands to ensure that organizations and individuals can get outside and can learn to do so the right way. AAC partners with organizations like the Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Industry Association, and Access Fund to find and forward state and federal legislation that funds conservation and prevents the transfer of public lands to new ownership that would limit people’s access to them. AAC also mobilizes support through motivating members to participate by writing letters to and calling legislators. AAC continues its legacy of funding climbing, conservation and research projects through its grants program, which is larger than ever before. AAC will give away $60,000 in Live Your Dream grants this year. AAC is committed to expanding its education program, which entails streamlining education across the country and improving educational quality. This consists of working with institutions effectively to make sure climbing curricula are similar and by beginning to certify climbing instructors. Climbing is expanding and diversifying. Passionate about making climbing and exploration accessible to all, Phil and AAC welcome new climbers at the gym to the outside by increasing education. AAC Universal Belay Program strives to standardize belaying across the U.S. so that every American climber is armed with the knowledge and practice to belay in fundamentally sound way. The curriculum promotes three fundamental principles of belaying technique. Phil has written two books, an expedition planning guide (Climbing: Expedition Planning (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert) and the work he is most proud of, the textbook for mountain climbing at NOLS (Wilderness Mountaineering). As the Vice President for institutional advancement at Naropa University, Phil learned the power of pause. Punctuating the beginning of a time you want to spend with friends, family or colleagues enables you to come together collectively and mindfully. A pause is situational, and can entail bowing before dinner, summoning people together with a gong, or honoring partnership-- the most central aspect of climbing-- through formally checking each other before you start. Links: American Alpine Club: https://americanalpineclub.org Jackson Hole Mountain Guides: http://jhmg.com Outdoor Alliance: http://www.outdooralliance.org Outdoor Industry Association: https://outdoorindustry.org/ Access Fund: https://www.accessfund.org/ AAC’s Live Your Dream grant program: http://americanalpineclub.org/live-your-dream-grant/ National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): https://www.nols.edu/ Climbing: Expedition Planning (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert): https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Expedition-Planning-Mountaineers-Outdoor/dp/0898867703 Wilderness Mountaineering: https://www.amazon.com/NOLS-Wilderness-Mountaineering-Library/dp/0811735214 Naropa University: https://www.naropa.edu/
“Maybe it’s a little stormy out, but we’re gonna keep going.” - Brady Robinson Brady Robinson started off working for North Carolina Outward Bound from 1995 to 2007. He held a variety of positions over the years, from instructor to director of operations. Brady started and ran the Patagonia mountaineering program from 1999 to 2003. "During my final 4 years I oversaw all program operations and safety management for the school," says Robinson. "I remain engaged with the outdoor education world through my work with the Access Fund." Brady has served as the executive director of the Access Fund since the fall of 2007. The Access Fund is the national advocacy organization that keeps U.S. climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment. Being founded in 1991, they’ve just recently celebrated their 25th anniversary.They are a certified land trust with a revolving loan program and support over 100 climbing agencies across the country. Brady also serves on the Board of Directors of the Outdoor Alliance, whose mission is to ensure the conservation and stewardship of our nation’s land and waters through the promotion of sustainable, human-powered recreation. Bulletpoints A lot of success with the Obama administration in regards to the Access Fund program Government wishes to get recreational land to be a state owned territory instead of federally owned When states compete with who can better support these sustainable activities, it’s good for everybody We’ve been tugging at the pant legs of decision makers, trying to bring the importance of recreational areas to their attention With the new administration in 2017, there is cause for concern The Outdoor Alliance and Conservation Alliance had a program laid out with the Clinton Administration, which fell through due to election results It is written in Republican federal documentation that they are going to sell off federal lands to states It’s not about states rights, it’s about who is the highest bidder - It raises cause for concern Corporations will see this as an opportunity to grab public land Global warming is a real issue, and affects the climbing community It’s important to support the organizations you believe in! Act when the time comes Links Brady Robinson’s Twitter: twitter.com/bradyrobinson Access Fund: Accessfund.org Outdoor Alliance: OutdoorAlliance.org Conservation Alliance: ConservationAlliance.com
Brady Robinson is the Executive Director of the Access Fund, a conservation and advocacy organization that helps to protect climbing areas throughout the United States. Despite being a relatively small non-profit, the Access Fund’s work has a broad ripple effect far beyond the climbing community and extends into areas of conservation, public lands policy, and general outdoor recreation, just to name a few. Under Brady’s leadership, the Access Fund has been incredibly effective, and as climbing becomes more popular, the Access Fund's work will only become more important. • Brady also has a seriously impressive outdoor resume—he was an instructor for both Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and has done a number of large-scale expeditions throughout the Himalayas. He still finds time to push himself hard in climbing, mountain biking, and other adventures, while simultaneously leading the Access Fund and being a fully committed family man. • We had a fun conversation that covered a wide range of topics. We dig into the details of the Access Fund’s mission and methods, including why non-climbers should care about its work. We talk about Brady’s diverse career experience, and he tells a few crazy stories from his big-mountain expeditions with climbing partners such as Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker. Brady also offers advice to young people who would like to pursue a career centered around the outdoors, conservation, or advocacy. • Even if you’re not a climber, you’ll gain some solid insights from this interview, so I hope you enjoy. • http://mountainandprairie.com/brady-robinson/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:10 - How Brady describes his work 5:00 - Specific methods that the Access Fund uses to protect climbing areas (public policy & acquisitions) 10:30 - How does the Access Fund prioritizes projects 10:45 – Correction from Brady: The Homestead is between Phoenix and Tucson, not Phoenix and Flagstaff 13:15 - Access Fund’s nationwide partnerships 13:55 - Access Fund’s stewardship team 16:30 - Access Fund’s support for landowners and education initiatives 18:40 - Foundation of the Outdoor Alliance 21:20 - Why should non-climbers care about the Access Fund’s work? 26:00 - Early outdoor experiences 27:30 - First climbing experiences 31:44 - Brady and Jimmy Chin learn photography 33:50 - Brady’s near miss with a massive avalanche in Pakistan (see photos above) 41:10 - The closest Brady ever came to dying in the mountains 45:00 - Lessons learned from a life of adventure 46:15 - Memories of the late great Alex Lowe 47:45 - Brady’s decision to pursue a career in education/advocacy/conservation instead of full-time climbing 52:00 - Reflections on finding your passion 57:00 - Advice to young people - a career in the recreation/conservation 1:07:50 - The Access Fund’s biggest threat and opportunity in the next five years 1:11:15 - Favorite books 1:16:30 - Favorite documentary 1:18:30 - Favorite locations in the West and the world 1:21:00 - Brady’s request of the listeners 1:25:55 - Connect with the Access Fund /// This episode is brought to you by Mountain Khakis. Rugged. Authentic. Reliable. Timeless. What started as a casual conversation at the Shady Lady Saloon in Jackson Hole, WY has become a top-performing mountain-inspired lifestyle apparel brand. Established in 2003, Mountain Khakis quickly became a staple in the wardrobe of everyone from ranch hands to golf pros, those who travel by jet, as well as those who travel by thumb. The Mountain Khakis brand story continues to resonate as it connects to the enthusiast who believes that freedom and rugged adventure is a way of life. Join the conversation at www.mountainkhakis.com
Episode 7 - Wildwater World Cup, Outdoor Alliance, Think Rain, and Freestyle Nationals Mike Hipsher swims.... U.S. Wildwater team member, Hollie Noble, talks about wildwater racing and the Wildwater World Cup in Ivrea, Italy; Emily Jackson reviews her late summer travel and competitions; The Outdoor Alliance gets busy defending our land and waters through human-powered recreation; Think Rain blogger, Maggie Snowel, talks about taking her paddling to the next level; Amateur Freestyle Champion, Paige Teegarden, reviews the recent Freestyle National Championships.
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