Outdoor Industry Releases 2020 Policy Platform

By
Martin Vilaboy
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Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) released its policy platform for 2020 after first sharing its recommendations with both presidential campaigns. The document, titled “Blazing a Trail to Economic Recovery, Growth and Prosperity: Outdoor Industry Association Policy Platform,” outlines OIA’s vision for abundant, safe and welcoming public lands and waters, balanced trade and its first-ever climate policy agenda.

“We represent more than 1,200 companies, whose millions of loyal customers and employees live in all 50 states in communities large and small, rural and urban, red, blue and purple,” said Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director of Outdoor Industry Association. “What unites us is a shared passion for the outdoors and a belief that our industry is essential to getting America’s economy back on track. OIA’s platform serves as a guidepost for candidates who are prepared to take bold, meaningful actions to ensure thriving communities, thriving outdoor businesses and a thriving planet.”

Below is an overview of the main objectives detailed in the platform.

Climate Change

  • Incentivize businesses to take bold action to reverse the climate crisis
  • Preserve our nation’s lands and waters as natural climate solutions
  • Invest in parks and paths to help build low-carbon, climate-resilient communities
  • Accelerate our nation’s transition to renewable energy

Public Lands and Waters

  • Make public lands and waters a cornerstone of economic recovery by doing the following:
  1. Making public lands an essential part of individual and community health
  2. Making new investments in recreation and green infrastructure, including Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and close-to-home recreation
  • Conserve public lands and waters
  • Make the outdoors accessible, equitable, welcoming and safe for everyone regardless of geography, income or prior experience for all Americans
  • Protect core conservation laws and reverse regulatory rollbacks

Balanced Trade

  • Conclude an agreement with China that protects U.S. IP and lifts all punitive tariffs
  • Rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and pursue new bilateral and multilateral trade deals
  • Renew and Expand the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) process
  • Prioritize sustainable trade initiatives
  • Develop a North American supply chain for PPE

To read the full document, click here.