Backlash to Anti-Public Lands Policy Grows

A backlash against policy assaults on public land is growing, and now, a conference of outdoor retailers has decided to leave Utah over that state's position on the issue. The Outdoor Industry Association, which has held its giant trade shows in Salt Lake City for two decades, says it will seek a new home for its Outdoor Retailer shows in 2018. It's a direct response to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's opposition to the newly-created Bears Ears National Monument. Ron Hunter is the environmental activism manager for retailer Patagonia, a member company of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) that runs the conference. He said his company is pulling out of the next two OIA shows, still under contract to take place in Salt Lake City later this year. Hunter said Patagonia also objects to a proposal to shrink the boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. The new national monuments also are attracting more attention from travel buffs. Both Gold Butte in Nevada and Bears Ears in Utah have just been named destinations for "epic road trips" by Zipcar.com...more