Montana, North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming make up the 8 states to sign the accord.
As Utah learned when it ran afoul of vendors at the twice-yearly Outdoor Retailer convention, costing the state upwards of $45 million, the outdoor recreation industry is a political force to be reckoned with. That bloc took a step toward solidifying itself today when eight states, led by Colorado, signed a groundbreaking pledge to advance the interests of the $887 billion outdoor recreation industry.
Related:Â Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Joins Paris Climate Agreement
The Confluence Accords contain subsections dedicated to conservation and stewardship, education and workforce training, economic development, and public health and wellness.
“The outdoors is the wellspring of adventure, camaraderie, and solace, inspiring us to both explore new places and set down roots. Whereas nature is the backbone of the recreation economy, we are committed to fostering conservation and stewardship values, ensuring environmental quality, and restoring sustainable access to the outdoors for current and future generations.Â
Montana, Utah, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, North Carolina, and Wyoming are the states joining Colorado in endorsing the accords. They all share the distinction of being the only states with dedicate offices for outdoor recreation reports 5280 Magazine.
Our Office of Outdoor Recreation had the opportunity to come together with eight other states to sign the Outdoor Recreation Confluence Accords. The Accords outline shared political principals for the outdoor recreation industry https://t.co/hOkqve523G #utpol pic.twitter.com/2k2piMvHJ6
— Business Utah (@BusinessUtah) July 30, 2018
It’s anyone’s guess as to what affects these accords, if any, will have on conservation efforts and our beloved past-time of sliding on snow. That said, it’s nice to have some of the big money currently dominating politics in our corner for a change. The special interests coming for our public lands are unlikely to stop anytime soon so– Unofficially speaking, we’ll take all the clout we can get.
Find the original announcement here:Â Outdoor Recreation Confluence Accords