Obama, Heinrich to receive award from outdoor industry

When President Barack Obama appears at the 2016 Outdoor Industry Association Capitol Summit later this month, he will leave with one of the organization’s prestigious awards. The OIA announced today that Obama would receive the 2016 OIA Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award for his support of the outdoor industry throughout his two terms in office. The association’s awards, according to the OIA, are given to elected leaders who have consistently demonstrated support for the outdoor industry and have advanced the industry’s policy interests. “On many issues, Washington, D.C., has come to represent division and partisanship,” said OIA executive director Amy Roberts in a statement. “One issue that is finding common ground, however, is that outdoor recreation is a powerful economic force and a foundation for healthy communities and healthy economies across the United States. We are proud to present these awards to President Obama and our champions for the outdoor industry in Congress.” The OIA announced it would also recognize New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson and Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici for their work on behalf of the outdoor industry. According to the OIA, Heinrich and Bonamici will be recognized for their securing funding and access for public lands and waters, protecting outdoor places, and making sure the interests and values of the outdoor industry are reflected in international trade issues...more

Here is what the OIA press release says about Heinrich:

As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Heinrich has been a champion for keeping our public lands and waters in public hands, access for organized groups, wilderness protections for iconic landscapes and ensuring our parks and public lands remain relevant for future generations. He has been a fearless leader fighting for adequate funding for our land management agencies, a champion in both the House and the Senate on the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a leader on wildfire funding reform and an advocate for balancing sound land management with protection for iconic places like New Mexico’s Columbine Hondo Wilderness and the Organ Mountains.  During his time in office, Senator Heinrich has supported our key trade initiative—the U.S. OUTDOOR Act—and attended our industry’s premier trade show, Outdoor Retailer.