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The country's largest outdoor gear trade show will return to Salt Lake City next year, leaving Denver, where the show has been held for the past five years. Outdoor Retailer left Utah in 2017 after the state's leaders petitioned former President Donald Trump to shrink Bears Ears National Monument.
Outdoor Retailer touted its relationship with the mayor of Salt Lake City, who the company said shares its commitment to clean energy and public lands, and said it is planning to push for change in Utah. But the move could force a number of major outdoor brands to make good on a promise to boycott the trade show if it moves back to Utah, citing the state's ongoing litigation to undo the restoration of Bears Ears National Monument.
“It’s clear those in charge of the Outdoor Retailer trade show did not learn their lesson. Politicians in Utah have continued to wage war on public lands conservation and their harmful efforts show no signs of slowing down," said Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala. “Outdoor recreation is booming in the West, fueling local economies and driving calls to protect more public lands. Leaders in the outdoor industry should recognize their growing power and not reward the bad behavior of extreme anti-conservation politicians."
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Essentially, the Bureau of Land Management … has been failing to manage grazing on public lands to a large extent... The bureau has largely failed to comply with the law, and has a massive backlog of permits that don't have current NEPA analysis and don't have current land health evaluations."
