Bipartisan group signs Confluence Accords

DENVER — Representatives from Colorado, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming signed the Confluence Accords, which outline shared political principles for the outdoor recreation industry.

“The Confluence Accords are a roadmap for the outdoor recreation industry that recognize it’s about so much more than getting people outside,” said Governor John Hickenlooper. “This collaborative work will serve as a national model and strengthen the collective voice of this industry.”

The Accords were first drafted in January at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver and focused on four key pillars:

Conservation and Stewardship

Education and Workforce Training

Economic Development

Public Health and Wellness

“This bipartisan effort is about harnessing the incredible power of the outdoor recreation community and creating a set of shared principles that each signing member can stand by,” said Luis Benitez, director of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. “The economic impact of the industry is undeniable, but with these principles we now have a framework for the industry’s political strength.”

Kansas, Michigan, Maryland and Arkansas are all observer states who are working to join the Accords at the next Confluence Summit in January.