State ski area trade associations do their part to confront climate change.

After the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), SnowSports Industries America (SIA), and National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) announced the creation of the Outdoor Business Climate Partnership, leaders of several ski area trade associations are joining the cause and uniting on climate action.

“As three associations representing outdoor retailers, brands, suppliers, and resorts across the country, we share a common desire to see progress on climate and are joining hands to amplify our impact," SIA President Nick Sargeant said in a press statement. "This kind of bold collaboration and commitment is what’s needed now if we’re going to effectively tackle this urgent issue.”

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The Outdoor Business Climate Partnership is the first-ever broad collaboration among the trade groups, meaning that for the first time they will unite to increase action on climate change.

The outdoor recreation industry, a major contributor to the U.S. economy, is dependent on a stable climate, and ski areas across the country are profoundly affected by the changing climate and its impact on snow pack. As such, every outdoor recreation organization should have a vested interest in being a part of climate solutions.

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Around the U.S., ski trade associations are uniting to pursue climate change solutions in order to address this defining issue for the ski industry. State associations including Colorado Ski Country USA, Ski Utah, Ski California, Ski Vermont, Ski Areas of New York, Ski New Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association have all joined the charge with state advocacy efforts.

Read more: Calling all Members of the Planet

Moving forward, each state association is going to continue to engage on state and local levels to support forward-thinking climate solutions. The new Outdoor Business Climate Partnership will focus on bigger picture issues, such as supporting comprehensive, bipartisan climate legislation in congress, adopting market-based policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decarbonizing the grid through state and utility level initiatives.

“As an industry, we can make an impact through advocacy, innovation, and collaboration with the legislature, guests, and other industries... Climate action requires the effort of many, not the few,” added Mike Reitzell, president of Ski California.

This desire to collaborate on climate change solutions has also expanded beyond the ski industry in Colorado to include three major state tourism-based organizations. The Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association (CHLA), Colorado River Outfitters Association (CROA), and Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association encounter more than 20 million guests every year and as such have an opportunity to affect signficant change. They have entered into a partnership with the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in order to educate travelers about reducing their impacts on Colorado’s natural resources and special places.

Underlying each of these partnerships is a desire to present a unified front focused on developing solutions for the environmental crisis and producing a positive impact on climate change.

Want to learn more about the industry's impact on climate change? Check out: Protect Our Winters and Sea Change