Welcome to the latest edition of the Wednesday Wake-Up Call, a roundup of the most pressing conservation issues important to anglers. Working with our friends at Unlimited trout, Backcountry hunters and anglersThe Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, The Everglades Foundation, Clean water captains, VoteWater.orgAnd Conservation Falcon (among other things) we make sure you have the information you need to understand the issues and form an informed opinion.
1. Orvis joins partners to help fund Everglades restoration
Orvis Orvis entered the halls of Congress yesterday – along with the Everglades Foundation, Clean water captains, Everglades TrustAnd Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation –to explain to policy makers the importance of the Everglades restoration. Laura Schaffer, Orvis vice president of sustainability and conservation, will be part of a group working to secure the funding needed to continue the work outlined in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which is based on a combination of federal and state funds based. It is an important time to bring this case as lawmakers are preparing new bills that will be introduced in both the House and Senate in the coming weeks and will form the basis of funding legislation that will be passed later this year.
As part of this effort, Orvis ran a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal on Monday so that the issues for the policy makers the group met yesterday would be front and center.
Click here for the full story
Click here to learn more about Orvis’ commitment to protecting 50 million acres by 2030
2. The outdoor industry comes to Washington for the annual Capitol Summit
Yesterday and today, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) held its annual summit in Washington. The event brings together OIA members, including Orvis, from across the country to discuss their policy agenda and educate attendees on how to lobby and advocate for our industry. Home Secretary Deb Haaland delivered the keynote speech yesterday, recognizing the industry’s importance to both the environment and the communities that outdoor adventures support:
“That’s what the Outdoor Industry Association is all about. It’s about upholding outdoor traditions that help our communities thrive—hunting, fishing, rock climbing, hiking, and everything in between—while working together to protect incredible places for future generations. And your dedicated service not only helps manage public lands and waters for everyone’s enjoyment, but also has a significant and undeniable impact on our country’s economy! Outdoor recreation jobs ensure families can put food on the table, create diverse revenue streams for communities, and open up new opportunities for lesser-known outdoor spaces.”
Today’s focus is meeting with elected officials to discuss the importance of nature and the $862 billion outdoor leisure economy. Three Vice Presidents from Orvis – Laura Schaffer, Frazier Blair and Mike Rigney – attended the event and represented both Orvis’ role as an industry leader and the company’s commitment to conservation.