Conservation & Advocacy

Conservation & Advocacy

All posts

Get Ready for Fire Season With Tips for Wildfire-Smart Recreation

Throughout the Pacific Northwest, recreationists are facing a new reality: wildfires are impacting outdoor recreation more than ever before. From smoky skies to long-term trail closures, fire season is no longer an occasional disruption, but a defining part of the summer outdoor experience. Read more…

Action Alert! Stand Up Against Public Lands Sell-Offs

Update: We were glad to see public lands sales stripped out of the final version of the reconciliation bill that passed the House. Support from the outdoor community and efforts by Rep. Ryan Zinke (MT-01) and the congressional Public Lands Caucus were instrumental in securing this near-term win. Unfortunately, other harmful public lands provisions were left in the final House bill, and public lands sales could crop up again as the Senate considers the reconciliation package in the coming months.

As a lover of public lands, it can be disheartening to read the news lately. Recent actions by Congress and the administration represent a mounting threat to our shared lands and waters - places where we find connection to the natural world. The largely partisan support for these harmful policies - which include public lands sell-offs - is built on the short-sighted premise that public lands are solely items on a balance sheet to be leveraged for financial gain through privatization and development. Read more…

Wild Olympics Bill Reintroduced in Congress

Earlier this week, one of our longtime landscape protection priorities, the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, was reintroduced in the 119th Congress by two members of the Washington delegation. Senator Patty Murray continues to champion this effort in the Senate and freshman Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06) has reintroduced the Wild Olympics bill in the House. The bill protects key recreation areas of the Olympic National Forest through the designation of new Wilderness and the Peninsula’s first-ever Wild and Scenic rivers.  Read more…

Defend the outdoor experience with a spring donation

When we go outside together, we not only increase our connection to each other, but also to the natural world. This is why, at our core, Mountaineers are not just learners and adventurers, but also advocates and conservationists. We fall in love with places and then do our utmost to conserve that experience for others. Read more…

A Mixed Bag for Public Lands in the Final WA Budget

Before you grab your Discover Pass and head to your favorite Washington state park or recreation area this spring, read on for a post-legislative session update to learn more about the critical funding that makes our adventures on state lands possible. (Spoiler alert: it’s a mixed bag.)
Read more…

Mountaineers Conservation & Advocacy Director Joins Congressional Briefing on Outdoor Recreation

As federal land managers like the Forest Service and the Park Service continue to sustain deep cuts that will jeopardize their ability to steward public lands and manage outdoor access, members of Congress and the recreation community are coming together to support the landscapes and outdoor experiences they cherish. The Mountaineers continues to stand up for our public lands, including by sharing how ongoing agency workforce reductions are affecting Washington’s federally managed parks and forests - the landscapes that host 60% of our organization's courses and trips. Read more…

Trip Report - The Mountaineers CEO Advocates for Public Lands and Agency Staffing in Washington, D.C.

The Mountaineers advocacy to protect public lands and the outdoor experience transcends the places where we recreate and the courses we lead here in the Pacific Northwest. This work doesn’t happen alone; partnerships lie at the heart of our advocacy story. About nine years ago, The Mountaineers joined Outdoor Alliance (OA) - a national coalition of human-powered recreation organizations. Over the years, we’ve deepened our involvement because our community is a unique catalyst for conservation and advocacy work on a national scale. Read more…

Virtual Event Recap - Agency Staff Reductions & WA Public Lands

On Friday, April 4, Mountaineers members and supporters from across the organization came together for a community update on the growing impacts of significant reductions to the federal land manager workforce. Our conservation team shared a deep dive on the ongoing efforts to cut federal agency staff who manage and steward our public lands, how we’re responding and helping move toward solutions, and what you can do to protect Washington’s public lands. The robust engagement we experienced online provided a strong reminder that our members are continuing to stand up together for our national parks and forests.  Read more…

Action Alert! Advocate for Public Lands and Recreation in the 2025 Washington State Budget

I don’t know about you, but I feel that Washington’s state-managed parks and public lands are truly special and offer something for everyone. Outdoor places like Blanchard Mountain, Cape Disappointment, the Exit 38 climbing area near North Bend, and many others connect us to nature through recreation across every region of the state. Read more…

Virtual Event: Learn More About Agency Staff Reductions - Apr 4, 2025

Our national parks and forests connect us to nature and to each other. Whether it’s a family hike near Snoqualmie Pass, a winter ski trip to Mount Rainier, or a bucket list backcountry trip in the Enchantments, Washington’s federally managed public lands lie at the heart of outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest. Read more…

How to Begin Your Advocacy Journey With Regina Robinson

Outdoor adventure offers many benefits, including helping us be well-balanced, both physically and mentally. Not only do The Mountaineers rely on conserved public lands and waters for our outdoor adventures, but so do many other outdoor recreationists. Now more than ever, it’s critical that we engage with our local, state, and federal lawmakers regarding the outdoors.   Read more…

Support Vital Voices for Conservation and Advocacy

The Mountaineers is a community of outdoor enthusiasts dedicated to protecting the natural places we love. Our conservation and advocacy efforts are crucial to this mission, ensuring that future generations can experience the beauty and wonder of the natural world. But advocacy for our natural world requires resources, and that's where your support comes in. Right now, we're working to bolster support for our publishing division Mountaineers Books, and we invite you to be a part of it. Supporting Mountaineers Books through donations and book purchases has a profound impact, extending far beyond the immediate transaction. Your generosity directly fuels our ability to resource and support vital voices that inspire action and drive conservation. Read more…

Gov. Ferguson Announces Funding to Restore Access to the Hoh Rainforest

Maintaining access to Washington’s cherished landscapes and the recreational opportunities they support frequently requires partnership between the State and federal land managers. Drastic reductions to the federal workforce and a looming state budget deficit underscore the need for creative solutions to safe and sustainable access to Washington’s lands and waters this year and beyond. Read more…

Conservation Currents | Celebrating Passage of the EXPLORE Act

Making a difference for conservation and recreation through advocacy can take several years. A campaign can consist of thousands of individual actions by grassroots advocates and policy experts alike who call or email lawmakers, meet with members of Congress, and testify on behalf of legislation. All these collective advocacy efforts add up to create a lasting impact through policy. Read more…

Olympia Conservation & Stewardship Gathering - Mar 13, 2025

The purpose of this annual gathering is to unite branch members who share an interest in stewardship and to simultaneously build enough enthusiasm to tackle meaningful stewardship activities in our area. Read more…

How Early Administrative Actions Could Impact Public Lands

Since the new administration took office, they’ve adopted a “flood-the-zone” approach to policy. That means mass firings of federal employees, including ten percent of the Forest Service’s workforce, and a surge of executive orders (written directives signed by the President) that put our public lands and climate at risk.  Read more…

Falling in Love With Place: Sam Sanders & Mountaineers Books

How do you fall in love with a place you’ve never been or creature you’ve never met? How can you gain the knowledge to do what you’ve only dreamed of? This is the mission of  Mountaineers Books. Mountaineers Books opens the door to new experiences, opens the window to new passions, and provides inspiration to pursue both. Their titles are companions we take with us on our journeys. Read more…

Action Alert! Speak Up Against Forest Service, Park Service Firings

Last week, the new administration fired 10% of the Forest Service’s workforce, alongside thousands of employees from other public land managers, including the National Park Service. These workers do essential on-the-ground work, such as trail maintenance and cleaning facilities, that keep our public lands open, safe, and accessible. Read more…

Shape the Future of Washington’s Forests

Logging protests. Activists sleeping in the world’s tallest trees. An iconic species on the brink. This isn’t a summary of a Hollywood action flick - it’s the real world clash between loggers and environmentalists that led scientists to develop the Northwest Forest Plan. Read more…

Impact Giving | Get Your Name in the Book: Woodpecker

As an outdoor community, we are committed to sharing the transformative power of the outdoors by highlighting unique perspectives. One way we do this is through Mountaineers Books, our independent, mission-focused publisher. Through support of Mountaineers Books you allow us to reach new communities; support high-quality and diverse books that may otherwise not be published; champion emerging authors; support community events, partnerships, and exhibits; and produce books in an environmentally sustainable way. Read more…

Banff Mountain Film Festival 2025 Recap

A few weeks ago, The Mountaineers continued its annual tradition of hosting the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Seattle. With nearly 4,000 people in attendance at Benaroya Hall over two nights, this year’s screenings made for a memorable experience. Read more…

What a New Congress and New Administration Mean for the Outdoors

At The Mountaineers, we believe the outdoors can be a source of healing and unity - a place where we can all come together to find joy and connection in the natural world. Despite big changes with the makeup of Congress and the administration that will have big policy implications, we believe the outdoors is a bipartisan issue. Time and time again, we’ve been able to secure wins for the outdoors no matter who is in power in the other Washington, and we’ll continue to elevate our community’s voices and values to lawmakers in 2025 and beyond. Read more…

Advocate for Public Lands and Recreation in Olympia This Legislative Session

If you've sea kayaked in Deception Pass, climbed the Royal Columns at Tieton, or hiked Blanchard Mountain, you know how important state-managed lands are for Mountaineers programs. Amid growing visitation to Washington’s state parks, wildlife areas, and Department of Natural Resources lands, state agencies need more resources to sustainably manage increased use, mitigate climate change impacts, and better protect natural and cultural resources. Read more…

Make Conservation Part of your New Years Resolutions with our Conservation Courses

eLearning plays an important role in our community's efforts to teach and learn outdoor skills and build a shared culture of conservation. Think of our three conservation eLearning courses as the 11th essential for your outdoor experience. Low impact Recreation, Public Lands 101, and Advocacy 101 will give you the tools you need to tread lightly on the landscape, understand how different types of federal public lands are managed, and advocate to protect public lands and the outdoor experience.  Read more…

Leave No Trace in Wintertime

Are you familiar with Leave No Trace? These tips are more than just picking up trash. In fact, the seven principles of Leave No Trace offer a framework for making decisions as you recreate outside. Leave No Trace's seven principles help guide you toward choices that have a lighter impact on the outdoors.  Given how many folks are outside recreating on our shared public lands, the cumulative effect of our efforts to be good stewards can be tremendous! Read more…

Wilderness Climbing Protected in National Parks

On Wednesday, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it’s discontinuing development of its proposal to restrict the use of fixed anchors in Wilderness. This is a huge victory for the climbing community. If enacted, the policy would have prohibited the use of new and existing bolts, slings, and pitons in Wilderness areas, upending decades of precedent and compromising safe and reliable access to iconic Washington summits like Unicorn Peak and Mt. Shuksan.  Read more…

Victory! EXPLORE Act Passes Congress

We’re excited to share that in the final days of the 118th Congress, lawmakers came together in bipartisan fashion to pass the EXPLORE Act and send it to the President’s desk to become law. The legislation is a first-of-its-kind package of bills to improve recreation and increase and enhance outdoor access on federal public lands.
Read more…

Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Northwest Forests

Growing up backpacking with my family in the Cascades and Olympics, I was introduced to our magnificent Northwest forests at a young age. Those summer trips where I collected pinecones and roasted s’mores over the campfire fostered my love for recreating in these iconic landscapes. These days, trail running and backcountry skiing through the same forests remind me why I was called to conservation work and the role the recreation community can play in protecting our lands and waters through outdoor advocacy. Read more…

Fall Conservation Policy Update & Advocacy Workshop Recap

Note: the Take Action section  of this blog has been updated to reflect legislative developments for the EXPLORE Act and a public lands package.

To continue growing a community of Mountaineers who adventure with purpose as outdoor advocates, our conservation team connected with Advocacy 101 course graduates and other conservation-minded Mountaineers virtually on Nov 20. As more Mountaineers seek new opportunities to flex their advocacy muscle, events like these prepare us for greater collective impact. Read more…

We Have a Responsibility to Protect What We Cherish

One special evening earlier this year, I found myself in a moment of transcendent wonderment. I was at Bruni’s Snow Bowl Hut, surrounded by warm air, majestic views of Tahoma, and the soft hues of a setting sun. My three-year-old gleefully devoured his first s’more with sticky hands and my one-year-old watched the campfire’s sparks with wide-eyed wonder. My husband’s hand in mine, and the laughter of our friends and their children, rounded out a precious and poignant experience. Read more…