By Betsy Winter, Executive Director

What do you get when you put hunters, fisherman, farmers, bikers, ranchers, paddlers, climbers, conservationists, tribal leaders, small business owners, local government leaders, federal representatives, mountain guides and the President of the United States all in a room together to discuss the link between conservation and strong economies? You get the White House Conference on Conservation.

The conference, Growing America’s Outdoor Heritage and Economy, held at the Department of Interior on Friday, March 2, explored the link between protecting public lands and strong local economies through tourism, outdoor recreation, and healthy environment.

As the U.S representative for professional mountain guides and climbing instructors, it was a huge honor for the American Mountain Guides Association to have been invited to participate in this monumental event.

It seems everywhere I have been going lately, from Outdoor Retailer tradeshow, to Outdoor Alliance Partnership Summit, to Stanford’s Conference on Commercial Services and the Wilderness Act, everyone is talking about partnerships, and the White House Conference on Conservation was no exception.

The aim of the conference was to bring together key stakeholders from around the nation to strengthen coalitions, explore successful partnerships, and to think collectively about what the future holds for our public lands, waterways and local economies.

With input from Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Ken Salazar, Secretary of Interior; Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture; Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), a select panel of grassroot advocates and President Barack Obama himself, it was clear that connecting people with America’s Great Outdoors, while also preserving our cultural heritage and wilderness legacy, and growing local economies, is something our current administration genuinely cares about and is working hard to address.

What this means for the guiding community is that our government seems to be concerned with many of the same issues that historically have had significant impacts on our profession- access, work visas, job security, and preservation of the land we all love and rely on to make our livings.

As the “uncommon dialogue” becomes more common, the AMGA will continue to advocate for, not only keeping our public lands and vertical wildernesses open to facilitated recreational experiences, but for a streamlined, systematic, and well-founded way to grant access for professional guides, educators and their clients.

To learn more about the White House Conference on Conservation view the summary found on the White House Blog. For a transcript and video of President Obama’s closing remarks click here.

Boulder, Colorado——- In response to the National Park Service’s recent draft proposal to prohibit guided climbing in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), and Representative Scott Tipton (R-CO) recently urged the National Park Service to reconsider the proposal.

In a joint letter written by Udall, Bennet and Baucus the Senators wrote, “While most climbers in the park choose not to climb with a guide, many do utilize guides, and we believe that given the extremely challenging nature of climbing in the Black Canyon, the option to climb with a guide should be available.” This sentiment was reinforced by Rep. Tipton, who wrote in his letter, “…if adopted, the Proposal will reduce opportunities for safe, facilitated wilderness recreation and education not only at the Black Canyon but also in other areas of our country’s great National Park System.”  Betsy Winter, Executive Director for the AMGA, applauded the congressional intervention and renewed the organization’s request for a suitable Wilderness management plan.

“The AMGA is grateful for the support of Senators Udall, Bennet, Baucus and Rep. Tipton, and shares their goal to protect the unique wilderness character of the Black Canyon.  Like our partners in Congress, the AMGA believes that sound wilderness management policy for the Black Canyon does not require elimination of a service that enhances safety, enjoyment, and personal growth for the countless visitors that choose to partner with a licensed guide when enjoying the legendary vertical challenges found only in the Black Canyon.  Consequently, the AMGA looks forward to working with our partners in Congress and in the National Park Service to ensure that visitors to the Black Canyon continue to have access to guided climbing in 2012 and beyond.

While the proposal to eliminate guided climbing access in the Black Canyon is still on the table, I am very encouraged by the support and attention our Senators and Congressmen have given to this very important issue. By far, this is one of the most consequential proposals our profession has faced, due to the potential negative impacts it could have on AMGA membership and the mountain guiding community at large. The AMGA and our constituents, therefore thank the members of Congress for taking notice of the concerns expressed by the climbing and guiding profession, and look forward to working with the National Park Service to reverse their draft proposal.”

About the American Mountain Guides Association
For over 30 years, the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) has inspired an exceptional client experience as the premier source for training, credentials, resource stewardship and services for professional mountain guides and climbing instructors in the United States. A national non-profit, the AMGA is committed to enhancing the quality of outdoor services provided to the public, while serving as a resource for accessing and protecting the natural environment. The AMGA is our nation’s exclusive representative to the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA), the international governing body responsible for guiding standards and education around the world. For more information please visit www.amga.com.

To access the full text from the congressional letters as well as video of Representative Tipton questioning NPS Director, Jon Jarvis on the proposal, please visit http://amga.com/about/BlackCanyon_Response.php.