In honor of Doug Walker, an avid outdoorsman who co-chaired the Governor’s Task Force on Outdoor Recreation in 2014 – a Task Force the Big Tent played a key role in establishing.”  The beloved software entrepreneur, philanthropist and outdoorsman was found dead Friday morning on Granite Mountain after an all-night search.
 

The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund was reauthorized in legislation passed Friday and signed into law by President Barack Obama. The funding will extend through September 2018, including a one-year increase of nearly 50%.  Seattle PI

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which benefits UNICEF, is the world’s longest ocean adventure and regarded as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. Spanning 40,000 nautical miles, the race takes almost a year to complete and consists of 12 teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of ocean racing yachts. Seattle will be one of 14 host ports throughout the race, welcoming the crews of all competing yachts in April 2016 at the end of the Mighty Pacific Leg 6 from Qingdao, China.

Outdoor recreation leaders report good sales and activities for 2015 and expectations of still stronger activity in 2016, according to a new report from the American Recreation Coalition, Outdoor Recreation Outlook 2016. Americans spend more than $650 billion annually on equipment ranging from skis and tents to RVs and boats and on services ranging from fishing licenses to zip lines, supporting millions of jobs in manufacturing, sales and service. And renewed interest in outreach and promotion by federal land and water management agencies – based around the National Park Service’s Centennial Celebration – is creating new opportunities for Americans everywhere to enjoy their great outdoors. Full Press Release  / View Outdoor Recreation Outlook Report