How We Choose Issues
We advocate for the protection of our public lands and the experiences they provide for human-powered recreationists. Check out our conservation and advocacy decision-making framework for more about the process we undertake to decide which issues to engage on.
Due to limited staff capacity, we’re strategic about what advocacy issues we take on. Because almost 60% of Mountaineers courses, trips, and activities take place on federal lands, the majority of our advocacy focuses on issues and initiatives impacting National Forests, National Parks, and other federally-managed public lands. We focus on building relationships with members of Washington’s congressional delegation, their staff, and partners at national conservation and recreation organizations.
From there, we engage strategically on issues affecting state public lands in Washington. Our programs and activities frequently occur on state parks and lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources or the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Given our close proximity to the State Capitol in Olympia, it can be easier to access state legislators and make a more immediate impact for state public lands and the outdoor opportunities they provide.
While we occasionally engage on county and municipal issues where multiple Mountaineers programs and priorities intersect, we don’t have the capacity to track hyper-local conservation issues occurring across Washington’s 39 counties and numerous local municipalities. We appreciate our community’s interest in local issues and recognize the tremendous work you do to preserve and protect local lands and waters: your efforts to engage and advocate locally make a difference.