Theodore Roosevelt is heralded as our nation鈥檚 first 鈥渙utdoorist.鈥� His conservation ethic鈥攎anifest in the , the forest service and our incredible national parks鈥攊s often quoted and celebrated as one of his greatest contributions to our nation鈥檚 public good. Dig into Teddy鈥檚 private correspondence though and you鈥檒l see that he was equally if not more so proud of his achievements as a father. 鈥淐hildren鈥ake all other forms of success and achievement lose their importance by comparison,鈥� he wrote in his 1913 autobiography.

As a father, I certainly share that sentiment with Teddy, but I also realize that his brilliance came at the intersection of his two most important roles. This year, we have a unique opportunity to emulate and perpetuate Roosevelt鈥檚 legacy as we celebrate Father鈥檚 Day and the National Park Service Centennial. I will spend precious time with my family outdoors, re-gifting to my kids “America鈥檚 best idea.”聽Another dad doing the same this weekend: President Barack Obama.

The First Family will explore Yosemite National Park together. More than any president since Roosevelt, President Obama has sustained and championed conservation and recreation. On behalf of The North Face and as a Yosemite Centennial Ambassador鈥擨鈥檇 like to thank President Obama for continuing Roosevelt鈥檚 legacy and for supporting the outdoor recreation economy, which, in turn, supports local economies and communities.聽

This is more important now than ever. In a typical week, only 6 percent of children ages 9-13 play outside on their own (1) and kids 8 to 18 spend an overwhelming 53 hours a week using entertainment media (2). It is our responsibility鈥攁s parents, teachers, mentors, and leaders鈥攖o introduce more people to the outdoors so they will forge indelible bonds with their environment and, in turn, become protectors of our parks and wild spaces for generations to come.聽

As we know from the , outdoor recreation is a $646 billion industry that employs 6.1 million Americans鈥攎ore than oil and gas, more than real estate and more than the finance and insurance sectors. And outdoor recreation delivers so much more than dollars and jobs. We know that 142 million Americans鈥攐ne in two鈥攈ave meaningful experiences outside each year. 聽But as we learn more about the power of outdoor recreation to keep people and communities happy and healthy, to reverse the obesity epidemic and slash healthcare costs, to revitalize urban areas and to provide inspiration to at-risk youth, we鈥檙e learning that outdoor recreation must be a part of our nation鈥檚 dialog and domestic policy. Imagine how different our world might look if every American鈥攏ot just one in two鈥攈ad the opportunity to enjoy our natural playgrounds each year.

This is why The North Face supports the Obama administration鈥檚 Every Kid in a Park program. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of our 2016 Explore Fund鈥攁 grant giving program for nonprofits supporting outdoor exploration鈥攚ent to organizations that activate youth engagement in parks.聽

In tandem with Obama鈥檚 other actions, including reforms that would help streamline the permitting process for guides and outfitters who serve as many Americans鈥� ambassadors to outdoor adventure, our industry is eager to continue inviting new outdoorists into our fold and, in turn, healthy communities into our national economy.

On behalf of longtime and soon-to-be outdoorists everywhere, I encourage each of you to join me in passing one of our nation鈥檚 greatest gifts onto our children.聽

Happy Father鈥檚 Day!

*Todd Spaletto聽is president of The North Face.

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Twice annually, the $646 billion outdoor industry gathers at , in Salt Lake City, where attendees get a firsthand glimpse of all the trends, colors, fabrics, and styles that will hit the slopes, trails, and streets in the year to come. Trend spotting is one of the show鈥檚 rites of passage. Of all the trends I saw there last time, one in particular gives me hope: the growing call for action on climate change.

The outdoor industry has been a leader within the wider business community in terms of sustainability and lowering our carbon emissions. At The North Face headquarters in California, 100 percent of our electricity is provided by renewable sources. We continually seek ways to reduce our carbon footprint and we understand there is still much to be done. We applaud the efforts of other outdoor brands to slash their carbon footprints. It鈥檚 the right thing to do for our bottom lines, for the 6.1 million people that are collectively employed in the United States by outdoor brands, and for our children and grandchildren.

Here鈥檚 the thing: sustainability itself will not solve the climate challenge. We need Washington to step up too, and recently they did: the Obama administration made the (CPP) official. 聽It鈥檚 the most historic act by any U.S. president to tackle carbon emissions by combining smart energy efficiency initiatives with carbon reduction targets and clean energy generation. The goal is to reduce U.S. carbon emissions 30 percent聽below 2005 levels, but just as powerful, it鈥檚 a signal to the world as we head into the in Paris that the U.S. is very serious about the future of our planet.

The White House estimates the CPP will create 275,000 U.S. jobs鈥攇ood new-economy jobs hammering up solar panels, making our homes and buildings more efficient, erecting wind turbines, designing the software and hardware that run a smarter energy grid. As a company president, it is very clear to me that the CPP will jumpstart American innovation and entrepreneurialism. (It will also likely lower your energy bills, according to a new study by the Georgia Institute of Technology.) But the CPP is just the start. Now it is time for Congress to step up. History shows that big environmental victories鈥攑rotecting the Grand Canyon, establishing the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, efforts to reduce acid rain and ozone depletion鈥攐nly come with bold government action. Before these laws were enacted, our rivers were toxic and our air was choked with soot. These acts didn鈥檛 include drastic losses in jobs or hinder economic growth as some had predicted. 聽

Sadly, there is currently no coordinated congressional action on climate. In fact the Senate just last week, despite a majority of the U.S. public supporting it. The fossil fuel industry continues to block sensible legislation. To overcome this hurdle, the outdoor industry鈥攁long with all other business sectors and concerned citizens鈥攎ust bring the fight to Washington. We must demand action for the sake of our children, for the sake of our mountains and our planet, and for the sake of our businesses.聽

For example, as a member of the advocacy coalition (BICEP), The North Face joined leading businesses including Apple, Disney, Ikea, Starbucks, Pepsico, and more in signing the BICEP Climate Declaration. The declaration鈥檚 premise is simple: tackling climate change is one of America鈥檚 greatest economic opportunities of the 21st Century. We鈥檝e also joined to ensure that our professional athletes and consumers are engaged and taking meaningful action to pass energy and climate legislation that will protect the outdoors for generations by enabling a rapid transition to a low-carbon 21st century economy that creates jobs, stimulates economic growth, and stabilizes our planet鈥檚 climate.聽

This week in Paris our parent company VF Corp announced a commitment to source 100 percent聽renewable energy in owned and operated facilities by 2025. And while we still have work to do to reduce our global carbon footprint, we鈥檙e moving in the right direction and we鈥檙e proud of this bold step forward in tackling climate change and protecting a healthy environment that we depend on.

Outdoor exploration is in our DNA at The North Face. Our athletes have scaled every major mountain in the world and we take pride in self-reliance. We go where few dare. Climate change, however, cannot be overcome through solo effort. Today, our athletes and customers use our equipment in wild lands and national parks created by our government in recognition of their profound value to the American people. Now, those very lands are suffering droughts and fires, beetle-kill, and flooding. We the people set that land aside; now we must act once again, this time to protect that land from the ravaging effects of a warming world.

The world鈥檚 eyes will be on Paris the rest of this week, and we鈥檙e hoping that our leaders will unite and find common ground to tackle this greatest environmental issue of our time. Climate change touches every one of us and demands that we all be part of the solution.聽

If your company has not signed the BICEP Climate Declaration yet, I urge you to . And to learn more about the Clean Power Plan, . To take action to support it, .

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