Jeff Clay | Clayhaus Photography
We march because it matters.
Salt Lake's sidewalks filled with heavy hearts, and roaring voices as the Outdoor Retailer show says goodbye to Salt Lake but continues to defend public lands. On July 27th, over 3,000 people gathered outside the hive of the OR show - the Salt Lake Palace Convention Center- and marched upon the Utah Capitol to rally. The rally echoed praises to Salt Lake’s unbeatable alpine access and the high-quality work-life balance it affords.
OR decided to leave Salt Lake because of the Utah delegation’s continued attacks on public lands through support for the rescission of Bears Ears National Monument, work to gut the Antiquities Act of 1906, and bitter fight to take federal lands. After a disappointing conversation in hopes of compromise with Governor Herbert, outdoor industry leaders decided they could no longer host the market where their values were not supported by the state’s leaders. The outdoor retailer market departure will come at a loss of approximately $45 million dollars that the show draws to the state economy each year. Hells Backbone founder, Blake Spalding described how our public lands and monuments are not replaceable and while she and many are sad to see the show depart it might just be the “hard medicine” the delegation needs to change their positions.
The March for Public Lands signified that while Utah was losing the show, the support of the outdoor industry would not be lost. The rally represented that public lands are more than a place to play, they afford a way to live. They offer a pool of resources where people can be healed, inspired; a place to recreate that has created an entire industry around it; and a place that offers ecological exchanges to sustain our air, water, and resources for now and for the future.
As a person who has been a part of the OR show and a member of the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club, we thank the outdoor industry for engaging, mobilizing, and using their voice to help forge a path for progress. The assault on our public lands is irresponsible and inexcusable. This march is even more evidence of the outpouring support that exists to keep our public lands public!
