b'multiple executive orders, but they are of sorts, right?built on top of one another, as opposed Bambei: Thats true. I mean the tim-to when we get into the county and mu- ing couldnt have been worse. As the in-nicipal level. That has been the biggest fluxofCanadiansandsnowbirdchallenge. The fact that everything has residents started migrating back northbeen all over the board. from places like Florida and Texas, theyWCM: If something like this happens were coming through states that hadagain, is there a role ARVC can play in veryonerousexecutiveordersthatcreating legislation where we avoid this wouldnt allow them to stay at parks.kind of situation?There are an estimated more than oneBambei: This is the power of being million full-time RVers out on the roadpartoftheOutdoorRecreation and the snowbirds added to that num-Roundtable (ORR). ARVC could ap- ber. Thats when our work was reallyproach something like this on its own, challenging because we had to educatebut it wouldnt have near the power as governors that this is critical. People areworking with the ORR and the 32 other trying to get home, they have nowhereassociations that represent the out- else to go, and sitting in a Walmart park-door recreation industry. We will be ing lot with all its sanitary problemsworking very closely with ORR through and safety issues wasnt a good option.the summer months to prepare our- We were able to open some minds onselves for what could be a second wave that, so were going to continue to edu-legislatively and otherwise.cate in that regard. Thats all part of theWCM: When we talk with state exec- The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds CEO and President Paul Bambei, shown preparationforthenextwave.Weutives,theymentionthattheirstate here with members of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, touts ARVCs work with various organi- caught a lot of states flat-footed in theirgovernors told them that theyre essen- zations as the reason it can move the needle when it comes to legislative items. understanding of our business.tial businesses, but they are not listed on WCM: A lot of governors are startingexecutive orders, leading to confusion whole host of other things. Once we get essential workers are going to need a to take a look at soft openings of busi-anddifferentinterpretationsatthe through all of this, part of my focus will place to stay. We just werent on their nesses. Is ARVC advocating to get parkslocallevel.Howdostateexecutives be that we get that listed so the next radar. And so our job is to get us on their open as these governors take a look atmake sure that they get listed on these time its already in the wording there. We radar if there is a next time so that RV plans for the future? orders the next time something like this have already been sending some letters. parks and campgrounds are seen as an Bambei: When we look at the map ofhappens so that they have less confu- I did notice that in some cases I saw essential place for those people to stay states that already are planning to uni-sion?where governors basically copied and at as well. laterally open, there are a good percent-Bambei: This was a conversation we pasted the same things but omitted ho- WCM: On some level, this opened a age of them out there. In the case ofjust had over the last day and, Jeff, youre tels and motels. And it was because they lot of eyes maybe to the full-time RVer some states, and California is a good ex-probably more up to speed than any- were unsure and were trying to leave population, too. They might not have ample, we are still dealing with somebody. But a lot of the orders were citing some gray area because they didnt re- realized the number of full-time RVers language in the executive orders that wethe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure ally want to particularly address that that relied on campgrounds as a home Q&A Conversationscontinued on page 26Security Agencys(CISA) exact wording. issue. But through all of this weve beenI think we can get in front of them to try able to clearly define that RV parks andto get national wording in their vocab- campgrounds are the absolute best wayulary because that is the resource that for social distancing in a self-containedeverybody relied on. They didnt rely on RV to minimize the risk. Our industry isus and we didnt know a whole lot about probably best poised for something likethem through the initial phases, but this. Andwe will have a defendable po-weve since learned that they are the au- sition and be able to make the argu-thorities. That is the effort that I think ment for the inclusion of RV parks andwell be pushing forward. Do you agree campgrounds.with that Jeff? Basler: I would add, too, that as weSims: I absolutely do. The CISA is un- have those conversations, personal sto-derneaththeU.S.Departmentof ries tell a lot and make or break a cam-Homeland Security and nearly every ex- paign like that. And after this we willecutive order from state governors has have the ability to tell those personalcopied and pasted those recommenda- stories about how RV parks and camp-tions. However, they clearly state in the grounds played an important role inCISA that these are recommendations, housing healthcare professionals andnot mandates. While in some categories those types of essential workers whothey do have hotels and motels, they were on the front lines of this. Whendont have RV parks and campgrounds CISA included hotels and motels that isanddontincludeRVdealersanda likely what they had in mind, that thoseJeff Sims, shown here teaching a class for the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds,has been focused on helping park owners deal with local officials and guidelines. WOODALLSCM.com June 2020-25'