Letter to Lori Jenks and Darrell Denny, Senior Vice Presidents of Operations Emerald Expositions - Relocate of Outdoor Retailer Show to Colorado

Letter

Dear Ms. Jenks and Mr. Denny:

We write as a unified voice to encourage the Outdoor Retailer show to relocate to the state of Colorado. The Centennial State offers tremendous business opportunity for the outdoor recreation community, and we want to emphasize our ongoing commitment to protect the public lands that support a robust outdoor recreation economy in our state.

Access to public lands and outdoor recreation is the foundation of Colorado communities large and small. Over 80 percent of Coloradans participate in trail trail-related related activities on a regular basis and 9 in 10 participate in outdoor recreation annually. Across the state, we can thank outdoor recreation for $19.9 billion in Colorado's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which supports 313,000 jobs and contributes $4.9 billion in l local, state, and federal tax revenues. Be it our small towns, large cities, or remote mountain communities, we protect our public lands because they form the infrastructure for our work and play. We recognize that the loss of these landscapes--or our access to them--would be a tragedy for our economy and our quality of life.

In Colorado, we take pride in working collaboratively to ensure that our public lands remain in place for future generations. There are many examples of stakeholders working together to drive protections and designations within the state that illustrate our dedication to public lands, including the establishment of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the creation of the Hermosa Creek Wilderness, legislative efforts that resulted in the Chimney Rock National Monument, and the Browns Canyon National Monument. These designations often result in booming business for the local communities, such as the Arkansas River Valley around Browns Canyon where we saw more than $70 million dollars flow in from rafting after the monument designation, and Southern Colorado where the Great Sand Dunes contributed over $21 million last year. And thanks to passage of the Outdoor REC Act, an idea grown in heavily recreated states like Colorado, the f federal government is now required to study and report on the outdoor recreation community's impact on our economy and the U.S. GDP. In Colorado, we know that protecting and promoting public lands is not a partisan issue--it's just good business.

Over the past twenty years, the "brand" of Colorado has improved more than that of any other state in America. Spend any amount of time observing the throngs of humanity in Times Square in New York, and the only state you will consistently identify on clothing and accessories is Colorado. This is the direct result of America's attraction to and transformative experience with our public lands and the access to them that has been exponentially expanded by the outdoor recreation industry. We continue to work together as a delegation on new legislative efforts to protect our public lands and promote their balanced management throughout Colorado.

These collective values regarding our public lands complement a healthy economy and make Colorado an ideal location for the Outdoor Retailer show. We encourage you to come visit the many trails, lakes and rivers, and mountains, including on the Western Slope and the Front Range. As you consider investing in Colorado, we assure you that while our state will continue to grow and change over time, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to maintain and protect our public lands, for Coloradans and all Americans.

Sincerely,

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