WASHINGTON, D.C. — Building a stronger outdoor advocacy movement, defending policies that protect public lands, and ensuring outdoor recreation has a powerful voice in Washington are among the top priorities in 2026 and beyond for Outdoor Alliance, a coalition of outdoor recreation groups working together to protect public lands, according to a press release from the organization. The organization’s most important forward-looking initiatives, along with its successes over the past year, were outlined in the Outdoor Alliance 2025 annual report and 2026-2028 strategic plan, which were both released Monday.
Throughout 2025, alongside outdoor advocates from across the country, Outdoor Alliance drove meaningful progress on key policy priorities, proving the power of collective action. This report recaps what the outdoor community achieved last year — and how it is gearing up for the challenges ahead.
“Over the last year, we saw growing bipartisan support for public lands and waters. At the same time, the outdoors is facing the greatest threats of a generation; unceasing efforts to eliminate regulations and protections, massive cuts to staff and resources for land management agencies, and efforts to sell off millions of acres of public lands,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “Our new strategic plan ensures the outdoor community continues to have a strong voice in the decisions shaping public lands. The path ahead may be challenging, but one thing is clear: when outdoor enthusiasts speak up, decision makers listen.”
Within the 27-page report, the Outdoor Alliance team shares the progress made on key policy priorities, including:
- Working to implement the bipartisan EXPLORE Act and advocating to defend backcountry recreation on our National Forests with the Roadless Rule.
- Creation of maps to explain land selloffs, the Roadless Rule, and protections for BLM lands, which received over 4 million views.
- Efforts to restore staffing for public land agencies, including the creation of a letter that was co-signed by 120 organizations, asking lawmakers to help advocate for these staffing protections.
- Sending 3 million messages to lawmakers from the outdoor community urging protection of public lands, defending agency staffing, and safeguarding the landscapes where people hike, climb, paddle, ski, and ride. Those voices helped stop proposals to sell off up to 3.3 million acres of public land and pushed decision makers to listen to the outdoor community.
- Holding 323 meetings with lawmakers, including a fly-in with the second Grasstops Collective cohort, made up of 20 trained advocacy leaders.
While the outdoor community achieved important wins, the threats facing public lands are growing. Efforts to roll back protections for public lands, including places like the Boundary Waters, further cut agency resources and staff, and open public lands to development are intensifying. That reality helped shape Outdoor Alliance’s new 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, which outlines how the organization plans to meet this moment. Over the next three years, Outdoor Alliance’s work will focus on four priorities:
- Building a durable, bipartisan movement for conservation and recreation
- Growing advocacy power within the outdoor recreation community
- Advancing policies that protect human-powered outdoor recreation experiences
- Strengthening Outdoor Alliance as a sustainable organization that can meet long-term challenges
Outdoor Alliance acknowledges the collaborative efforts it takes to get such wins across the finish line and gives thanks to its coalition partners, including Access Fund, American Alpine Club, American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, Colorado Mountain Club, International Mountain Bicycling Association, The Mountaineers, Surfrider Foundation, and Winter Wildlands Alliance. Additionally, Outdoor Alliance acknowledges all of the regional networks, corporate partners and donors, board of directors, and people from across the outdoor recreation advocacy community. These collective endeavors help make Outdoor Alliance one of the most effective conservation and recreation advocacy organizations in the country.
To learn more, please visit www.outdooralliance.org.
About Outdoor Alliance
Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. A nonprofit coalition comprised of 10 national advocacy organizations, Outdoor Alliance’s members include American Whitewater, the American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. By working with its member coalitions and helping mobilize the involvement of individuals to protect public lands and waters, Outdoor Alliance helps ensure public lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. Outdoor Alliance — conservation powered by outdoor recreation.
