Mountaineers are fierce defenders of our wild places. Dive deeper into what this entails, how to build your skills as an advocate, and why successful advocacy makes a difference for the outdoor places we love. Conservation advocacy has been an enduring priority throughout The Mountaineers history. Early members recognized the importance of protecting wild places for the outdoor experience, and as a result we have been involved in nearly every major conservation campaign in our state's history. Advocacy has been, and remains, at the heart of key environmental protections. 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites the public to provide feedback on a draft 10-year recreation strategy for WDFW-managed lands. Public input on the draft strategy, which is available in English and Spanish, is welcome through 5 p.m. on Feb. 28.  

With a short session, we are focused on engaging on the highest priorities amongst members of our coalition and the Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition community. This legislative agenda reflects the platform of Big Tent's members. We hope that the legislature will consider the following policy priorities as it works to pass bills and a supplemental budgets during the 2022 legislative session.

This year, Washington State Parks staff are taking a closer look at how the stories we tell, services we provide and visuals we use represent our values to the communities we serve. We’re committed to protecting our most treasured lands, providing memorable experiences and connecting people with the diverse natural and cultural heritage of our state. We want to make sure our outreach work is truly aligning with our mission. We’ve created a survey where folks can share their personal memories, opinions and stories related to Washington State Parks. Survey closes February 15, 2022. Learn more

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released economic data for 2020 on outdoor recreation’s powerful and positive economic impact on the U.S. economy today. These new numbers show outdoor recreation generates $689 billion in economic output and creates 4.3 million jobs. The report, a snapshot in time of a challenging and uncertain year, includes national and state-level data.

Washington State’s Recreation and Conservation Office is asking people to help determine how funding should be spent by taking a survey about what kind of outdoor recreation they do. The State is updating its statewide recreation and conservation plan, which includes a state trails plan, to unlock grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This federal fund provides $6 million to Washington State to build parks and trails and to conserve wild areas.

From its craggy coastlines to its icy volcanic peaks, Washington is home to some of the world’s most stunning geology. This new website by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) helps connect people to the state’s rich and diverse geologic history. See press release

As April drew to a close, the Zoom squares of the weekly Big Tent policy call were full of smiles. Advocates were thrilled to see strong support for outdoor recreation during the 2021 Washington State Legislative session. After a roller coaster of a year where we expected budget cuts to outdoor programs, the strong support for outdoor recreation was a welcome surprise. Legislators clearly saw the need to invest in outdoor recreation and education following the pandemic, and as a result, our priorities saw near record support.