On Tuesday, February 14, Patagonia, a domineering
outdoor brand, announced that it would not continue to attend the biannual Outdoor
Retailer trade show, historically held in Salt Lake City, if it didn’t relocate
from the state of Utah. The reason? Utah’s stance on federal public land
conservation.
Utah—66.5 percent of which is comprised of federally
owned public land—is a frontrunner in the movement to transfer federal land to
the states. Many sportsmen and women are concerned that following through with
this intent will result in the states’ massive selling-off of these once-public
lands to private owners for development or personal ownership, eliminating the
ability to use them for recreation.
In late January, Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz
introduced legislation in Congress that would revoke legal authority from
Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service authorities, followed by another
bill to sell off 3.3 million acres of public land in 10 states across the west.
Shortly thereafter, yet another Utah Congressman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, sparked
national research into the possibility of the
Trump administration rescinding
protection of the 1.35 million-acre Bear Ears National Monument designated by
Obama as a lame duck. Gov. Herbert then submitted a resolution urging the
newly-installed administration to do just that.
Following Patagonia’s ballsy maneuver, on Thursday,
February 16, the Outdoor Industry Association issued an ultimatum to Republican
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert: Cease efforts to scrap Roosevelt’s Antiquities Act,
rescind Bear Ears National Monument, and transfer federal public lands to the
states, or they would sever their ties with Utah and take their heavyweight
trade show elsewhere.
Just hours following the conference call, the Outdoor
Retailer show announced that they would be leaving Salt Lake City following the
summer of 2018.
Outdoor Retailer’s Summer Market is the most
comprehensive and lucrative trade show of its kind, annually attracting
thousands of vendors marketing gear and apparel for outdoor and adventure
sports including hiking, backpacking, cycling, climbing, water/paddle sports, fishing,
mountain biking, running, adventure travel, and more. All of these sports
depend upon public lands for their enjoyment, making Utah’s public lands
political atmosphere particularly offensive to the show.
The show annually funnels $50 million into Utah’s
economy, making it a true heavyweight attraction for the state. Patagonia’s
igniting move was intended to raise awareness of the show’s political and
economic contradiction.
“Patagonia will no longer attend the Outdoor Retailer
show in Utah and we are confident other outdoor manufacturers and retailers
will join us in moving our investment to a state that values our industry and
promotes public lands conservation,” Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, wrote
following the official announcement.
The high-profile company was right in their
expectation, and the outdoor sporting public has widely praised them for their
stewarding leadership regarding this important issue, proving quite plainly
that on issues involving intangible virtues, money trumps talk and affects
change most effectively.
Though the show will convene in Salt Lake in the
summer of 2018, Outdoor Retailer is actively in search of a new home, and is
taking bids from other states that have a strong tradition of outdoor pursuits
and public land celebration. Utah is being ignored, which has created internal
conflict within the state’s government, severely crippled by the loss of so
much annual revenue.
Hopefully, this loss will inspire Utah’s
representative leadership to rethink the value of outdoor recreation and the public
lands that permit them. Given Utah’s leadership on the public lands transfer
issue, their conversion may be a pivotal moment in this land war that will
prove to be nothing less than vital for the future of outdoor sports in America
as we currently and freely enjoy them.
*Originally published in The Rural Virginian
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