The Wealth of the Wild

Transcription

1 America s Wilderness MEMBER NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2013 VOL. XV, NO. 3 The Wealth of the Wild Michael DeYoung, michaeldeyoung.com Our wild public lands play a key role in supporting American jobs and businesses. Photo: Zion National Park, Utah. Nestled between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Calaveras County was shaped by the boom and bust of the California Gold Rush. Today, this gateway to the Sierra Nevada enjoys a more lasting currency with its scenic beauty and natural wonders. In doing so, it is helping conservation win on a new front: America s growing recreation economy. Calaveras County is far from alone in recognizing the value of outdoor recreation as a path to economic prosperity. Outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse in the United States, one that has grown even during tough financial times. The Outdoor Industry Association reports that 6.1 million American jobs depend directly on outdoor recreation. This mammoth industry generates $646 billion in consumer spending each year, on everything from backpacking gear to fishing tackle to mountain bikes. But this extends far beyond gear and equipment to include travel and tourism on public lands. Tourism, by far the largest industry in Calaveras County and many other places in the United States, is largely driven by people visiting natural attractions like the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness and Stanislaus National Forest. These visitors stay at local motels, eat at restaurants and shop at stores. California s Sierra Nevada Adventure Company, a small chain of outdoor retailers, is a good example of a business that relies almost exclusively on access to public lands. Owners Jill and Shawn Seale started out selling rafting supplies out of the back of Shawn s truck, and built the business into three stores that capitalize on the area s abundance of granite lakes and proximity to the Sierras. The stores cater to flat-water kayakers, skiers, hikers and other outdoor-lovers. The Sierra Nevada Adventure Company stores pay a living wage and benefits to their dozen or so employees, and remained anchors in their community even while central California was battered by the recession. Our stores depend on nearby public lands and people who love the outdoors, says Jill. Without them, we don t have a business. Outdoor recreation provides a stable and growing source of income to many people, businesses and communities. Many of the jobs it supports, from the restaurant workers who serve tourists, to river guides who show people the rapids, cannot be outsourced. And it provides a buffer against the boom-and-bust cycles of extractive industries like mining and drilling. Recent polling suggests that Americans are waking up to the idea that protecting public lands rather than developing them helps bolster local economies. The business community is also seeing that benefit. continued on page 2 3 HOT ISSUES WILDERNESS AND YOU: OPENING TO WILD PLACES: BIRTHPLACE OF 4 WILDERNESS, CONNECTING TO OURSELVES 6 RIVERS AND HERMOSA CREEK

2 RECREATION ECONOMY continued from cover Last year, when The Wilderness Society was campaigning to upgrade California s Pinnacles National Monument to a national park, local chambers of commerce joined our cause. Their support, and the powerful argument they made that a national park would benefit local economies, helped push the legislation over the finish line. Wilderness Society President Jamie Williams and new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell at our Ansel Adams Awards event. DEAR WILDERNESS SOCIETY SUPPORTER, With summer well underway, many Americans are hitting the road and heading out for vacations in the wild. That s good news for everyone who is getting out and enjoying our spectacular wild places. We know that unplugging from our daily lives and getting outdoors is one of the best ways to relax and enjoy a summer holiday. It turns out that these vacations to our parks, wilderness areas and other public lands are good news for our economy too. Americans spend $646 billion on outdoor recreation annually, supporting roughly 6.1 million American jobs. That recreation economy is critically important, especially for rural communities that depend on nearby wild places to drive their local economy. The fact that wild places generate jobs and support communities is just one more compelling reason to protect the wild places we love. That s where The Wilderness Society comes in. We build strong local support to protect special places, both because they are too wild to develop and because they provide loads of other benefits, like supporting local economies, providing clean air and clean water, and serving as a home for wildlife. The more people understand about how valuable our wild places are, in every sense, the more of them we can protect for future generations. We are proud to be working to do just that, and we hope you get a chance to enjoy some of those wild places this summer! Sincerely, Jamie Williams President, The Wilderness Society Sean M. Bowie William C. Gladish The Wilderness Society s expertise in conducting economic research and analysis around land issues is unique in the conservation community. Capitol Hill and legislative staff have long depended on our work to understand the short- and long-term economic consequences of landuse decisions, and the outdoor recreation economy is an important part of that equation. As economic arguments increasingly shape the public debate, our research is helping us cultivate new allies and make a strong case that conserving land supports jobs and businesses. We are also building partnerships with the outdoor industry to connect people to the places they love to play, and in doing so, are taking an important step in inspiring Americans to care for our wild places. Monthly Giving Makes the Most Sense For You and the Wilderness The Friends of the Wilderness is an essential group of our most dependable supporters. Their sustaining gifts of as little as $10 each month ensure we have the resources to protect America s precious wildlands for generations to come. To join today call us at THE-WILD or go to wilderness.org/friends. PRINTER PLEASE UPDATE America s Wilderness is published three times a year by The Wilderness Society. PRESIDENT: Jamie Williams PHOTO EDITOR: Lisa Dare DESIGN: Studio Grafik THE-WILD The Wilderness Society meets all standards as set forth by the Better Business Bureau/Wise Giving Alliance. Questions or comments? Please contact Jennifer Stephens at jennifer_stephens@tws.org.

3 Brad Christensen/NOLS Jeff L. Fox HOT ISSUES Expedition Denali team members (left) gather in Wyoming to finalize details before heading to Alaska. The Lee Metcalf Wilderness (above) turns 30 years old this year. MAJOR CONSERVATION VICTORY IN THE NORTH CASCADES Fifty thousand acres of land will be protected in the Teanaway River basin with a $100 million appropriation by the Washington state legislature. The landmark acquisition will protect critical wildlands and preserve hiking, mountain biking and rafting opportunities. The victory is the result of complicated negotiations between business and community interests to protect the forests and rivers of the Teanaway and provide more water to fish, families and farms. The Wilderness Society played a key leadership role in coordinating this coalition. We thank the donors and members who helped us safeguard the Teanaway for future generations! 10,000 STEPS TO DENALI This summer, the National Outdoor Leadership School is leading the first expedition of African Americans who hope to summit Denali the highest peak in North America. The purpose of Expedition Denali: Inspiring Diversity in the Outdoors is to inspire young people of color to take up the mantle of conserving wilderness for future generations. Grassroots events are occurring across the nation to commemorate the historic event. Thousands of young people are hiking their own 10,000 Steps to Denali (the round-trip distance between High Camp and the summit) in local outdoor spaces. After the expedition, the mountaineers will continue to activate young people during Project Inspiration, a year-long national speaking tour that will include historically black colleges and universities, outdoor outreach organizations and community organizations. The growing diversity in America s population is not reflected in usage of our public lands and outdoor spaces. Outdoor participation rates among African Americans, and especially children, remain the lowest in the nation. If we want people of all backgrounds to become future stewards of our wildlands, we must create more opportunities for everyone to play in and experience our great outdoors. GREAT OUTDOORS AMERICA WEEK June marked the third year that The Wilderness Society led Great Outdoors America Week (GO Week), bringing folks from across the nation to ask their lawmakers to protect our public lands. The event-filled week draws an incredible diversity of advocates bound by a shared love for America s natural heritage, from business leaders to conservation activists to youth groups. This year s GO Week, which focused on the importance of connecting kids to the outdoors, was capped by a celebration on the National Mall with Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. See photos and learn more at wilderness.org/go-week. SUMMER OF LEE The Wilderness Society is throwing a birthday party for wild country in Montana this summer but instead of cake, we have backpacks, river raft trips and open air. The Lee Metcalf Wilderness stands as testimony to the courage and conviction of former Senator Lee Metcalf of Montana, a true wilderness hero who saved wild places decades ago. To raise awareness of his legacy to a new generation of wilderness warriors, we are organizing a summer-long series of events, adventures and contests in the wilderness area bearing his name. If you want to watch our summer plans unfold, visit summeroflee.com THE-WILD 3

4 WILDERNESS AND YOU: MEMBER PROFILE Opening to Wilderness, Connecting to Ourselves James Ellsworth Rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Photo courtesy of Middle Fork River Expeditions Silence isn t often cited as the best part of a whitewater river trip, especially when you re one of 20 people on a four- to 12-day adventure screaming your way through class IV rapids. But silence, says James Ellsworth, a river outfitter in Idaho, is what hooks many a client on wilderness. That includes a brawny football player from Scotland. After one of James s signature silent hikes up onto the canyon slopes, the Scot, tears in his eyes, told James it was the most beautiful experience he d ever had. I thought, he needed that, says James. People are drawn to the river for a reason. They might not know the reason, but in the end, they re transformed. James, who launched Middle Fork River Expeditions in 2007, is bent on a mission to connect more people with the wildlands that so shaped him not only as a means of ensuring their long-term protection, but as a way of helping people find something in themselves that they ve lost connection with. Taking people into wilderness his way is one reason he started his own business. He offers silent hikes on all of his trips down the Middle Fork and Main Salmon, which cut through the heart of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Silent hikes are a form of walking meditation, he says. They re totally optional, but by day three, people are finally getting out of their head space and starting to deepen into a place that s more authentic. Wilderness helps connect them with themselves. As a boy in Holladay, Utah, James would float and fish the James Ellsworth Green River with his father and grandfather. In 1978, at age 10, he experienced his first multiday river trip and big water in the Colorado River s Cataract Canyon. But it wasn t until he was 18 and saw his friend working as a swamper (the lowest rung in the outfitter hierarchy) in the Grand Canyon that the light bulb went on: I could do this for a living! After many years juggling river guiding with higher education (he averaged 200 days a year on a river), James completed a master s degree in geography, his thesis examining the impact James Ellsworth THE-WILD

5 of dam releases on sand bars in the Grand Canyon. I wanted to know more about what was going on with rivers to share with my clients. He went on to spend nine years with Mountain Travel Sobek, running their international rafting program and learning all sides of the outdoor recreation business. By day three, people are finally getting out of their head space and starting to deepen into a place that s more authentic. Wilderness helps connect them with themselves. Today, James divides his time between Idaho and his family s home in Mill Valley, Calif. He personally guides on four to five trips each summer, and his wife, Meg, and two young daughters join him and friends on at least one of those. When kids take to the river, they are in the moment; they don t have to be entertained. Through his work with The Wilderness Society both he and Meg serve on the President s Council James is furthering his passion to connect more people to wild nature. He has organized river trips for the council and has donated several trips to help us raise our profile with new audiences. To leave land in its natural state is absolutely imperative to the success of the human race. There is a deep yearning for wilderness in people, even if they don t know it. Stop by our booth in the Eco-Village at Dave Matthews Band concerts this summer to get your free Wilderness Society temporary tattoo! Dreaming Tree Wines and The Wilderness Society are teaming up again this year at Dave Matthews Band concerts to promote conservation. Volunteers are hosting a booth at the Eco-village to engage concert-goers with contests and fun swag, while teaching them about conservation. If you attend a Dave Matthews Band concert this year, be sure to visit us and get your I like it WILD button and Wilderness Society temporary tattoos. And don t forget to sign our KEEP IT WILD pledge while you re there! Learn more about Dreaming Tree Wines and The Wilderness Society s partnership to promote conservation and healthy forests at wilderness.org/ dave-matthews-dreaming-tree-wines. LIBERTY MUTUAL IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY TO OFFER AUTO AND HOME INSURANCE. Make Wilderness Your Legacy Contact us today to learn more. CALL Client # CLICK The Wilderness Society receives a royalty payment of up to 2% of the premium of a new business policy and up to 1% of the premium of a renewal business policy in consideration of Liberty Mutual Insurance s license to use The Wilderness Society s trademarks. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affi liates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA Liberty Mutual Insurance Kent Miller Contact us to learn how you can leave The Wilderness Society in your will, trust or other estate plan and enjoy peace of mind knowing that your legacy will help protect wilderness forever. Contact Lora Sodini legacygifts@tws.org THE-WILD 5

6 WILD PLACES: Birthplace of Rivers Thomas R. Fletcher our history, our landscape and our rich mountain culture High in the Yew Mountains of the Monongahela National Forest lies some of the most wild land in West Virginia. Its features ancient sphagnum bogs, pristine rivers, spruce forests and towering waterfalls. It also serves as the headwaters for six regional waterways that give this beautiful place its name: Birthplace of Rivers. Sportsmen and women have found a world-class experience in the Birthplace of Rivers for years. The six trout-heavy watersheds in the area make Birthplace of Rivers a candidate for the most popular fishing destination in West Virginia. Additionally, hunters can find healthy populations of deer, turkey, bear and other West Virginia game species. The Cranberry Wilderness a 48,000-acre tract of wildland features wild rivers, more than 50 miles of trails, dense forests of red spruce and rugged valleys that are home to trout streams and provide habitat for creatures such as black bears and a number of rare species THE-WILD But more of the Birthplace of Rivers about 72,000 acres of land that is already managed for preservation, ecological restoration and backcountry recreation deserves permanent protection as a national monument. A monument designation would preserve this unique and iconic landscape, highlight West Virginia s natural beauty and cultural heritage, and continue traditional land uses such as hunting, fishing and gathering. The Birthplace of Rivers National Monument would extend protections to many important streams, including six rivers important to the region: the Cranberry, Cherry, Gauley, Elk, Williams and Greenbrier, all of which have headwaters within the potential monument s boundaries. A monument designation for the Birthplace of Rivers would protect a special landscape while benefiting local economies by attracting visitors to what local author G.D. McNeill called the Last Forest. Make Your Gift To The Wilderness Society Go Even Further! Does your company have a matching gift program? The answer may be yes, and that could mean important additional support for The Wilderness Society programs you care so much about. Check with your HR department to see if you qualify, and if so, send in your company s matching gift form with your contribution. It s a small step that can reap huge benefits for the wild places we re working to protect. To learn more about how to make your gift go further, please contact Robin Taylor at William C. Gladish

7 Whit Richardson Photography WILD PLACES: Hermosa Creek, CO In one of Colorado s largest roadless forests rests the Hermosa Creek watershed, just north of Durango. It is home to some of the largest remaining stands of oldgrowth ponderosa pine in Colorado. From the tops of the trees to the bottom of its tributaries, the creek teems with a wide range of species. Native cutthroat trout glisten in the Colorado River and the rare Canada lynx roams the forest. Hermosa Creek stands out as one of the top mountain biking destinations in the United States. Excellent trails take riders through aspen forests and fields of wildflowers, and reward them with stunning mountain vistas. The watershed s vast herds of deer and elk attract thousands of hunters annually. Other recreational opportunities include fishing, horse packing and skiing. Through the Hermosa Creek Workgroup, The Wilderness Society has worked with local community members to develop a proposal to protect the watershed. In a victory for bipartisanship, legislation was introduced to protect Hermosa Creek. Introduced by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Scott Tipton (R, CO-3) and co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO), the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act would safeguard more than 100,000 acres of a stunning wildlife habitat and prominent recreational opportunities. The Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act was introduced in the 112th Congress. However, the legislation did not pass, nor did any other wilderness bill making it the first Congress to fail to protect a single acre of wilderness since The Wilderness Society, along with our diverse allies on the ground, is hopeful that the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act becomes law this year. EARN GREAT REWARDS Show your support for The Wilderness Society and earn 1.25 miles for every $1 spent on purchases! The Wilderness Society has partnered with Capital One to offer you three credit card options to fit your needs. Every time you make a purchase with your card, a portion of each dollar you spend goes directly to The Wilderness Society. To learn more, visit: Credit approval required. Terms and conditions apply. Offered by Capital One N.A Capital One THE-WILD 7

8 The Wilderness Society 1615 M St., N.W. Washington, D.C THE-WILD NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY As America becomes more built up and drilled out, there are some places that are too special to be opened up to the oil and gas industry places that are Too Wild to Drill. Read our new Too Wild to Drill report at wilderness.org/too-wild-to-drill. North Fork of the Flathead River, Mont. ILCP in this issue: The Wealth of the Wild: Outdoor recreation supports stable jobs and growth in America s economy. Can it save our public lands, too? Victory in the North Cascades Wilderness and You: Opening to Wilderness, Connecting to Ourselves 10,000 Steps to Denali THE-WILD And more! Holly Werran, courtesy of REI