An Update From the Environmental Stewardship Committee
The current political climate in our country ought to encourage active participation among outdoor recre-ationists like ourselves—to continue the hard work we do and dedication we have for protecting public lands and the natural environment. The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) would like to remind AORE members that if there is a specific issue you are passionate about, you can make your voice heard through the AORE Policy Position Recommendation Form. For policy issues relating to the natural spaces you love, please contact the ESC. AORE has mechanisms in place to support industry-wide issues, and we need to know what matters to you. The Access Committee can support you in a similar way regarding policies affecting access to federal public lands.
The major theme of the committee’s agenda for this year is to build on and improve the success of previous projects. With help and oversight from the AORE national office and Board of Directors, the ESC will be working with the Host Committee and Event Garde to continue to grow and ensure success in our Service Project that takes place at the annual conference. Last year, the committee removed invasive species from an urban national park, Coldwater Spring, during the conference in Minneapolis. We can’t wait to work with the City of Roanoke to do a fun and educational project that will support the AORE mission, its members, and the hosts!
Last year was the first time the committee held an AORE National Day of Service. The goal of the day of service is to encourage AORE members to participate in local service projects. Essentially, we can all contribute to a local project in our communities, such as trail maintenance, invasive species removal, or educational outreach on the same day. Our service day is coordinated to be on the same day as National Public Lands Day, which is on Saturday, September 30, this year. The ESC will compile a list of the five best ways to be involved, and we look forward to seeing increased par-ticipation in 2017. Look for more news on this as fall approaches.
Nick McEachern
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