The Longmire Historic District in Mount Rainier National Park has been selected to participate in Partners in Preservation: National Parks, a program celebrating the 2016 National Park Service Centennial. The program features 20 national parks vying for $2M in preservation grant funding as decided by popular vote through the National Geographic website. Through July 5, the public can vote for up to five parks once a day to receive a share of the funding. The parks with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be awarded grants for historic restoration projects, until the full $2 million is distributed.   Click here to vote!

The common refrain among businesses along Colorado’s recreation-rich Interstate 70 mountain corridor over the past few years is “record breaking.”  Soaring numbers of visitors are swelling private and public coffers in both summer and winter. Tourist-generated tax revenues are reaching peaks. The recreation season now stretches for almost 12 months with more opportunities for year-round play than ever before. While outdoor recreation has long been an economic keystone in Colorado, it is only now getting recognized as a major economic driver nationwide, with proposed federal legislation aiming to bolster the industry that has long languished at the fiscal kids’ table.

The Colorado state legislature on Friday night passed a bill establishing the third Saturday in May as a holiday to celebrate, as the bill’s summary states, “the significant contributions that national, state, and local public lands within Colorado make to wildlife, recreation, the economy, and to Coloradans’ quality of life.” The bill passed with bipartisan support, with a 36-29 vote in the House and a 25-8 vote in the Senate. It is now headed to the governor’s desk. “Colorado is a national leader when it comes to conservation issues, and our support for public lands is no exception,” said Scott Braden, Wilderness and Public Lands Advocate at Conservation Colorado. “People come from far and wide to visit our mountains, deserts, forests, and grasslands, and for that they deserve to be celebrated.”

Just a quick reminder that our next board meeting is scheduled for 10am-12noon on Monday May 23, 2016 at REI headquarters in Kent.  Board meetings are open to the membership, however, due to facility security protocol at REI, if you plan to attend this meeting we require your RSVP to Doug Levy at levy4@msn.com and Brit Kramer at info@bigtentcoalition.info by May 19, 2016 in order to ensure facility access for you.  The most up to date information about the Big Tent board and meeting schedule can be found on our website board page.