CONSERVATION *protect the outdoors*
We are Washington’s leading voice for protecting the human-powered outdoor experience in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We speak up for the trails where we wander, the mountains we climb, and the waters we paddle. The goal of our donor-funded conservation work is to protect the natural landscapes that make our adventures possible, and we focus on issues affecting public lands and land management to ensure recreational access to these places for generations to come.
Our grassroots engagement model incorporates conservation education, stewardship, and advocacy, and is supported by deep policy expertise making The Mountaineers unique and effective in our approach to conservation. Our volunteer-driven approach to outdoor education and getting people outdoors creates strong connections to the natural world. These immersive experiences make our outdoor community powerful advocates for public lands and wild places. Our 16,000 members are deeply connected to our community, our mission, and the landscapes where we recreate.
Get Involved
What to get involved? Click on our advocacy, stewardship, and education pages to learn more.
OUR approach
- Empowering recreationists to make their voices heard.
- Working with legislators and land managers to shape policy.
- Partnering with other organizations to build support for important issues.
Committees
We rely on a wealth of expertise to do this work - both within The Mountaineers and across the conservation and recreation community.
The Conservation & Advocacy Committee provides expertise and guidance to advance The Mountaineers conservation and advocacy work. Working directly with the Conservation & Advocacy Director and the CEO, the committee supports the organization’s efforts to influence public policy and land management to protect public lands and the outdoor experience.
The Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee provides strategic input on how The Mountaineers can most effectively reduce the organization’s carbon footprint as part of our strategic plan. This advisory committee consists of internal and external stakeholders with a passion for addressing the climate crisis through carbon footprint reduction.
Our work, past and present
We've been advocating for our wild places for over 116 years. From the formation of Olympic National Park in 1938 to the expansion of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, we've seen the successful impact we can have when our members speak up.
- In 1968, with the voices of local advocates and visionaries, The Mountaineers helped lead the creation the North Cascades National Park.
- In 1976, The Mountaineers successfully advocated Congress to designate the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, including publishing the book that was instrumental in this process. We were also involved in the effort to successfully expand the Wilderness in 2014.
- In 2019, with over 5,000 of your voices, The Mountaineers joined other partners to help protect the Methow Valley from industrial-scale mining, designate the Mountains to Sound Greenway a National Heritage Area, and permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
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In 2020, the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act delivered a historic win for two of our longtime conservation priorities: full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and new funding to maintain and restore federal parks and public lands.
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In 2022, our efforts to urge Congress to prioritize bold climate action and leverage public lands as climate solutions culminated with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act - the largest effort to address the climate crisis in our nation’s history.
- In 2022, Mountaineers advocacy helped secure ongoing annual resources to tackle deferred maintenance on Washington’s state-managed public lands.
- In 2024, a decade of advocacy by The Mountaineers and our partners culminated with the passage of the EXPLORE Act. This landmark law will improve and enhance recreation on federal public lands in many ways - like improving the federal permitting system for organized group experiences.