The Mountaineers
2025 was a whirlwind year for defending public lands. Sweeping workforce reductions at federal land management agencies, along with proposals to sell off wide swaths of public lands, created an unprecedented need to raise our voice to protect the future of outdoor recreation. We’re calling on our community to support The Mountaineers with a year-end donation to help fund critical mission-driven work, like our Conservation & Advocacy program which amplifies the voice and values of members like you.
Our advocacy in 2025 helped shut down some of the most egregious threats to public lands, and we are staying vigilant to thwart continued attempts to defund our shared natural resources.
“Our fingerprints are all over this,” Conservation & Advocacy Director Betsy Robblee shared after a Senate Appropriations hearing in May. ”Senator Patty Murray had consulted with The Mountaineers and other outdoor recreation partners to learn about the local impacts of staffing cuts and attempts to sell off public lands. Her questions for administration officials directly referenced stories we shared of how their actions are affecting our members.”
We need to raise $225,000 by December 31 to help more people access the natural world and protect the outdoor experience in 2026 and beyond. As of today we are 51% of the way there! Will you make a donation today to support The Mountaineers mission and community?
The message of The Mountaineers is strong because it carries the expertise of generations of volunteer educators, authors, and outdoor enthusiasts. Our voice is loud because of the immense passion for the natural world that our members embody. And our advocacy is effective thanks to our team of dedicated Conservation & Advocacy staff, our role in facilitating bipartisan support, our books that inspire advocates and decisionmakers alike, and our coordinated regional approach as the convening member of Outdoor Alliance Washington.
I thank my lucky stars every day that I live in such a beautiful place and want my grandchildren to be able to enjoy, and protect, what I have seen and valued.
I hope my donations will help keep the ship running smoothly. While The Mountaineers is blessed to have so many energetic and enthusiastic volunteers, it still takes funds to cover the expense of our wonderfully helpful staff and facilities.
- Donna Rooke, 11-year member, Peak Society
Philanthropy will invest in our mission in 2026, including our goals to:
- Defend public lands from emerging threats through deep partnerships like Outdoor Alliance Washington and advocacy meetings in Olympia and Washington, D.C.
- Develop new activation strategies for Mountaineers members who want to engage more deeply with our conservation and advocacy work.
- Engage land managers to improve recreation management, access, and the recreational permitting process.
- Achieve new Net Zero milestones by reducing our carbon footprint in Mountaineers facilities and activating members in climate advocacy.
Join us! Your donation of any amount will make a difference.
