Outdoor Alliance Encourages You to #RecreateResponsibly

Photo credit: Simon Rae

Today, Outdoor Alliance is launching a movement to #RecreateResponsibly, just in time for Memorial Day, as some public lands are beginning to reopen and Americans are slowly venturing back to trails, beaches, and parks.

The campaign is a coordinated national effort spearheaded by Outdoor Alliance, REI, the Outdoor Industry Association, and a number of key groups in Washington state, including Washington Trails Association and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, as well as land managers, outdoor businesses, and nonprofit partners. 

This Recreate Responsibly Coalition is encouraging Americans to follow six guidelines for getting outside safely during COVID-19:

These guidelines provide a framework for how we can start to get outside safely this summer, especially in places where public lands are beginning to reopen, like Washington, and for folks who might be new to getting outside.

Outdoor recreation is one of the few activities sanctioned across the country, even in states currently under shelter in place guidelines. However, overcrowding, unsafe conditions, and damage to some public lands have caused many open spaces to be closed. In recent weeks, many of us have seen coverage of overcrowding at parks, rivers, or open spaces, that puts all of us at risk. The best opportunity we have to get or maintain access to our public lands, and be able to enjoy the outdoors this summer, is to understand how to get outside safely.

“No matter how you like to recreate, we are all united by the love we share for our public lands and waters,” said Adam Cramer, executive director of Outdoor Alliance. “We have a shared responsibility to not only care for these places but to care for our fellow citizens, and these guidelines help show the way.” 

You can help by sharing your commitment to #RecreateResponsibly by using the hashtag on your social media accounts, or by sharing the guidelines with family, friends, or your workplace.