Robert W. “Bob” Gore, the inventor of Gore-Tex and longtime CEO of W.L. Gore & Associates, passed away at his home in Earleville, Maryland, on September 17. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 83.

Born on April 15, 1937, in Salt Lake City, Gore’s life was defined by innovation. A graduate of the University of Delaware with a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota, Gore received his first patent in 1959 for the invention of a ribbon cable used in computing technology.

Ten years later, as an employee at his parents’ company W.L. Gore & Associates, he stumbled upon a discovery that would change his life, the outdoor industry, and the world.

A Groundbreaking Invention

In October 1969, Gore was experimenting with the polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. Known mainly for its use in Teflon, PTFE caught Gore’s eye in the late 60s when he hypothesized that it could be used to create plumber’s tape cheaply and efficiently.

While experimenting in his lab, Gore found that sudden, forceful expansion of the material could stretch its molecular structure by 800 to 1,000 percent, resulting in a new substance that contained a matrix of tiny pores鈥攁bout 9 billion per square inch鈥攖hat allowed air, but not water, to pass through.

Gore dubbed the invention “expanded聽polytetrafluoroethylene,” or ePTFE. The world would later know it as Gore-Tex.

The material became the marquee product of W.L. Gore & Associates, which started licensing it to manufacturers in 1976. The first Gore-Tex fabrics were leveraged on a relatively small scale鈥攊n raincoats and tents鈥攂ut later the iconic material would be adapted for use in countless products across the outdoor, medical, defense, and aerospace industries.

A Force in the Industry

In 1976, the same year Gore-Tex first became commercially available, Gore took over for his father as head of the family company. He brought to the business a rigorous focus on innovation, as well as a deep concern for employee empowerment.

鈥淏ob appreciated that innovation can arise from many different places if entrepreneurial spirit is encouraged and fostered,鈥� said current Gore CEO Jason Field in a release announcing Gore’s passing. 鈥淚nnovation as activity, doing things with your hands, experimenting, testing and observing, was instilled in our enterprise consistently and productively throughout Bob鈥檚 tenure as both president and chairman.鈥�

Building upon the operational structure established by his parents, Gore grew the company by limiting all facilities to a maximum of about 200 employees, which he called “plants.” Most employees were given the title of “associate.” Many big decisions at the company were made democratically.

Gore’s incredible powers of invention and intuitive sense for business led to explosive growth in the business over the course of more than 50 years. Today, W.L. Gore & Associates does $3.8 billion in annual sales and employs more than 11,000 people across the globe. Gore himself ran the company until 2000, and continued to serve as chairman of the board until 2018.

Legacy

Gore earned nine patents over the course of his life, and was inducted into both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Society of Plastics Engineers John W. Hyatt Award for benefits to society through the use of plastics, as well as the Perkin Medal for innovation in applied chemistry resulting in commercial development. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and a trustee of the University of Delaware Research Foundation.

News of Gore’s passing was met with widespread sadness and an outpouring of gratitude for his contributions to the world.

“Dad played many roles within Gore: scientist, engineer, businessman, president, chairman of the board, and mentor,” said Scott Gore, his eldest son and an associate at the company. “He eschewed titles and although he held a doctoral degree in chemical engineering, he always insisted that people address him as ‘Bob.’ Mostly, Dad thought of himself as an associate, and wanted to be part of an enterprise that improved the human condition through products such as medical and pollution-control devices. He greatly admired and always credited the work of thousands of fellow associates for building Gore into the company it is today. His family, friends, and fellow associates will miss him dearly for his love, devotion, dedication, and sincere interest in their wellbeing.”

鈥淏ob鈥檚 curiosity and determination were key to his success, and the success of our enterprise and the Gore-Tex brand,” said Paul Canatella, technical leader of the company’s fabrics division. “He had a profound ability to ask deep and insightful questions on many topics from technical performance to customer relationships to brand and marketing. Sometimes in the moment it wasn鈥檛 comfortable being the associate on the receiving end of those questions, but once you stepped back, you realized there were really good insights and learnings to take away from his questions.鈥�

鈥淏ob left a lasting impact on our enterprise and me specifically,” said Jacques Rene, fabrics division leader at Gore. “One of the strongest lessons Bob left me was the power of a product concept. There was nothing like Bob challenging your product concept in order to have a clear statement of what difference your product could make. Having an entire team focused on one clear mission to solve a challenging problem was so empowering. I will forever remember his teachings.鈥�

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How do I apply for a paycheck protection loan? What if I have to furlough employees? How do I pivot my manufacturing to make PPEs? What聽if I have to close my business? These are the types of questions the Outdoor Industry Association fielded when its 1,300 member businesses began calculating the economic impacts of the months-long coronavirus quarantine. OIA immediately changed course and established a COVID-19 resource hub, and redirected everyone on staff to work on coronavirus response.

It would have been a challenging pivot in the best of times, but the pandemic came at a crux moment for OIA. The crisis threatens the 31-year-old organization鈥檚 funding model鈥攚hich was already under pressure鈥攁nd OIA鈥檚 new executive director, Lise Aangeenbrug, took office聽just a week before stay-at-home orders started shuttering outdoor businesses around the country.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no roadmap for this,鈥� Aangeenbrug said. 鈥淥ur singular goal right now is to help our members survive.鈥�

But by prioritizing its members, OIA is putting off a question of its own, one that it must answer from within: How will OIA survive this? Is OIA itself healthy and strong enough to be the beacon of leadership that the industry needs right now, and in the future?

OIA鈥檚 Complex Relationship with Outdoor Retailer

Even before the crisis, OIA faced a potentially unreliable long-term funding model, with most of its eggs in the basket of Outdoor Retailer. OIA鈥檚 $8.9 million annual revenue comes, in large part, from Outdoor Retailer royalties (58 percent). The remaining revenue comes from Outdoor Foundation donations (18 percent), membership dues (16 percent), and other sponsorships (8 percent).

In many ways, it鈥檚 a smart model because OIA doesn鈥檛 have to constantly ask its members for more money, says Phyllis Grove, OIA board member and VP of marketing and ecommerce at Hydro Flask. (Annual membership fees range from $250 to $30,000 depending on the size and type of the organization.)

However, it also puts OIA at risk. Even with healthy reserves, Aangeenbrug says, OIA needs the national trade show, otherwise it would be in trouble. Now OIA is in that troubling situation. In response to the pandemic, Outdoor Retailer canceled the 2020 Summer Market. A few weeks later, VF Corporation chipped in 15 percent ($55,000) of its Summer Market refund to OIA, recognizing that the cancellation creates 鈥渁 critical funding gap in OIA鈥檚 traditional revenue stream,鈥� Smartwool (part of VF) Brand President Jen McLaren said in a news release. A few other brands鈥擯atagonia, W.L. Gore, Hydro Flask, and NEMO among them鈥攆ollowed suit. And on June 1, OIA made聽the tough ask to the broader industry. Nora Stowell, board chair, in a letter urged members to make a donation that replaces the royalty fee brands would have paid through exhibiting costs. 鈥淭he health of OIA is tied to the health of the industry,鈥� she wrote.

鈥淲hen they canceled this year鈥檚 show, I thought, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know how OIA is going to survive,鈥欌�� said Carolyn Brodsky, co-founder of Sterling Rope Company. She has been among those in the industry to question Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 relevance and cost structure, as well as protest OIA鈥檚 dependency on the trade show, but she believes the association has an important leadership role to play.

Peter Sachs is of a similar mindset. As the general manager of LOWA and a member of OIA, he relies on the trade show for business. But, 鈥淭o me, [OIA] sold their soul when they agreed to endorse Outdoor Retailer exclusively,鈥� Sachs said. 鈥淚 wish they had owned it and then gotten an organization like Emerald Expositions to run it for them. OIA鈥檚 future is controlled by a corporation that鈥檚 not in the outdoor, ski, or bike industry. They鈥檙e in the trade show industry.鈥�

Wrestling with Revenue

Revenue diversification has been on OIA鈥檚 slate for the entire 11 years Travis Campbell, VF president of emerging brands and Americas platforms, has served on the board. Because the partnership with Emerald Expositions, Outdoor Retailer鈥檚 owner, remains strong, he says, nothing signaled to the board that they needed to make a sudden, drastic change. Change has always been incremental. For example, new programs like the Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy and the Futurist Project brought in $100,000 in (combined) sponsorship funds.

In January, OIA gathered a task force to discuss funding alternatives鈥攑art of its ongoing efforts to tackle the problem. By March, when it became clear that its members were focused on trying to meet their own basic financial needs, OIA聽decided to table the discussion about its own funding model. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to talk to people about money when they鈥檙e hurting,鈥� Aangeenbrug said.

Another new, revenue-producing program, the Outdoor Industry Business Certificate, was due to launch in early 2020. OIA now expects it to go live later in 2020, with university partners like Utah State University and Western Colorado University. Still, the annual revenue it would generate is small potatoes compared to the more than $5 million from Outdoor Retailer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 time to have a more transparent conversation with our members about funding,鈥� Hydro Flask鈥檚 Grove said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very clear that with the cancellation of the summer show, we have to accelerate the way that we request more money from members.鈥�

Shifting to a direct dues model鈥攁 much higher cost for members鈥攊s the only real solution for relieving OIA entirely of its dependency on Outdoor Retailer, says Campbell. But to do that, he said OIA has to be clear on its value proposition: 鈥淵ou have to deliver a lot of value if you鈥檙e going to ask for more money and that鈥檚 the part we continue to wrestle with.鈥�

Shelley Dunbar, co-owner of Neptune Mountaineering and former co-owner of Sea to Summit, says she would much聽rather pay a higher OIA membership rate and see OIA put on its own smaller show than pay gobs of money to the for-profit trade show that鈥檚 often unattainable for the smaller brands who make the industry competitive. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the single biggest expense in our marketing budget,鈥� she said.

As Campbell sees it, though, it鈥檚 not an either/or conversation. He believes that while trade shows overall are struggling, OIA鈥檚 cut from Outdoor Retailer will never drop to zero because he has faith in OR. 鈥淲ho knows, they may not even be called trade shows in the future,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淏ut OR will figure out an economic model that works for them that supports this industry.鈥�

Time to Shine

During crisis, a trade association has the opportunity to be an invaluable resource. OIA was quick to establish a COVID-19 hub, which Grove found invaluable.

Dunbar, however, wishes OIA used this time to refocus on the trade membership. Yes, fighting for public lands is important, she says, but there are other groups that can and should take the lead, like The Conservation Alliance and The Access Fund. Retailers are a subset of the industry that has been underserved, Brodsky and Dunbar say. 鈥淚t would be beneficial for me if OIA enabled retail members to share information like best practices, best software, and point of sale systems, or if they brought back the Retail Benchmarking Report,鈥� Dunbar said.

There鈥檚 also work to do on the diversity front, both internally and externally. OIA knows it has a responsibility to better integrate more BIPOC voices and make JEDI progress across all programs. And to help members do the same, OIA says it will host facilitated sessions this summer with people from diverse backgrounds educating industry leaders.

Once the pandemic crisis settles down, Aangeenbrug says she looks forward聽to getting back to moving the outdoor industry forward. She cites the Climate Action Corps, a program launched in January to help companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, as one such initiative. And of course, OIA鈥檚 future funding model will be top of mind as the industry moves into an uncertain trade show future.

Whatever the fix, Brodsky wants to see OIA lead and innovate: 鈥淭his is a time when retailers and organizations and members need their association the most.鈥�

This story originally ran in the Summer 2020 issue of The Voice.

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Words like 鈥済ame changer鈥� and 鈥渄isruptor鈥� get tossed around a little too easily these days, but with FutureLight, its patent-pending new waterproof/breathable technology, The North Face says it has a product to back up those superlatives. In fact, the brand believes so strongly in the material鈥檚 unprecedented breathability that it created an entire manufacturing program around it, including dedicated factory spaces in Korea. Said Scott Mellin, global GM of The North Face鈥檚 Mountain Sports division, 鈥淲e had to develop our own yarn, weaving process, and lamination and finishing techniques. It took us two years to do all of that.鈥�

Moreover, by fall 2020, The North Face will have transitioned all of its higher-end apparel, footwear, and other waterproof/breathable gear in the Mountain Sports lines from Gore-Tex and other third-party vendors to FutureLight (price point items will still use TNF鈥檚 proprietary DryVent, and Gore technologies will still appear in the lifestyle collection).

Even the technology鈥檚 debut was unconventional. The North Face launched it today, not at an outdoor industry event but at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, partnering with BMW Group Designworks for a camping trailer display.

Why all the investment? It鈥檚 partly due to athlete feedback and the desire to find a better solution to the ongoing conundrum of protection versus breathability. And part of it comes from a serious effort at brand differentiation. 鈥淢y job is to create the biggest amount of difference between The North Face and our competitors,鈥� said Mellin, who came on board full-time in January 2017. 鈥淎nd the way to create difference is to step out of the supply chain.鈥�

The FutureLight Technology

At the heart of FutureLight lies an industrial process known as nanospinning. A polymer is sprayed through up to 220,000 tiny nozzles鈥攔ather than being extruded into a thin sheet of film, as most membranes are鈥攖o create a waterproof yet highly porous mesh-like membrane. The construction allows for nanoholes that allow air to pass through and moisture vapor to escape, keeping users dry and comfortable, not clammy and cold. Five different weights of membrane鈥攄epending on how many nozzles are used鈥攁llow designers to tune a garment鈥檚 level of breathability to the type of activity it鈥檚 intended for, added Mellin.

True, some other membranes make use of nanospinning, such as Polartec NeoShell and Outdoor Research鈥檚 AscentShell. But citing stats from TNF-initiated third-party comparison testing, Mellin said that FutureLight outperformed them.

Because the mesh is so delicate, The North Face鈥檚 material science and sourcing teams ended up designing custom face and backing fabrics鈥�56 in all鈥攁s well as a new laminating process to give garments enough structure and shape. Some of these fabrics use higher denier yarn for greater abrasion resistance along with an open weave structure for more air permeability and lighter weight.

It adds a green story to FutureLight, too, as all new fabrics use 100 percent recycled materials. Motivated to increase the sustainability factor even further, The North Face also created a new PFC-free DWR treatment that maintains 80 percent of its water repellency after 80 wash cycles (and requires no consumer applications of water-polluting retreatment).

A bonus byproduct of the technology: FutureLight garments have a remarkably soft, quiet hand and mechanical four-way stretch.

FutureLight Field Testing

North Face athletes have been using FutureLight in extreme conditions around the world, but the real proof is in the numbers, acquired both through in-house and third-party testing. Said Mellin, 鈥淲hat we typically see in most garments is air permeability at 0.01 to 0.1 cubic feet per minute. FutureLight has between 1 to 2 CPM. That鈥檚 the magic zone for allowing heat to dissipate through the garment without affecting its windproofness.鈥� (By comparison, he noted, a soft shell typically has 25 CPM). Underwriters Laboratories, which primarily tests first responder gear, determined that FutureLight exceeds the waterproof standard used for firefighter uniforms.

Retailers who have previewed the product give it high marks, too. Said Wes Allen, owner of Sunlight Sports in Cody, Wyoming, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best breathing waterproof/breathable I鈥檝e ever been in.鈥� While having to posthole out of deep snow when snowboarding recently, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 unzip a thing,鈥� he continued. 鈥淢y goggles fogged, my helmet got really wet, but there wasn鈥檛 a single drop of moisture inside my jacket.鈥�

Will FutureLight Surpass Gore-Tex as the Gold Standard?

How will this new technology affect The North Face鈥檚 longstanding partnership with Gore, which dates back to the 1977 introduction of TNF鈥檚 Mountain Jacket? Mellin said he鈥檚 been forthcoming about the company鈥檚 emerging technology platforms and that The North Face remains committed to using Gore-Tex in its lifestyle division. Yet, he added, 鈥淔utureLight is the most advanced breathable waterproof technology in the world. It鈥檚 a quantum leap forward in performance and sustainability. We firmly believe it is better than Gore-Tex in every technical aspect and provides the consumer with a completely new system of benefits.鈥�

When asked for a statement, Gore responded simply, 鈥淕ore does not engage in speculation about other brand’s technologies nor publicly discuss details of its relationship with licensees.鈥�

For Fall 2019, The North Face will introduce 37 SKUs with FutureLight, including outerwear, single-wall tents, and gloves and mittens. Look for more innovation in different categories down the pipeline.

Is all the hype justified? Noted Allen, 鈥淵ou want to be a little cynical about this鈥攚e鈥檝e all been down this road before鈥攂ut this time I think there鈥檚 actually something really different. I don鈥檛 mean to sound like a complete fan boy, but it鈥檚 great stuff.鈥�

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When Backcountry Hunters & Anglers president Land Tawney reflects on the history of land and wildlife preservation in the U.S., he notes how great things have been accomplished during times of darkness.

In the early 1900s market killers were wiping out big game to put food on tables in New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago, hunters stepped up and help pass legislation making the sale of wildlife illegal as well as putting into place the first game laws.

In the dirty 1930s when the lid was coming off the prairie, the dust bowl, the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was enacted to tax ammunition and firearms and put that money back into conservation and the North American Wildlife Conference was born along with Ducks Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation.

In the 1960s when wilderness areas were spoiled by the development boom, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Clean Air Act were established.

Right now, Tawney says, could be another one of those times.

Following another mass shooting in February, a debate over whether outdoor companies should have any associations with gun companies failed to acknowledge that while hunters buy guns, they also buy hiking boots and hydration packs, Tawney said. A boycott by two major outdoor retailers unintentionally pit hikers against hunters, throwing their alliance in the fight for public lands and their funding of land conservation in jeopardy.

鈥淚 think we should be focusing on our conservation legacy and I think if we do that, there鈥檚 plenty of synergy there,鈥� Tawney said. 鈥淚f we divide our ranks, we all lose.鈥�

The crux of the issue is a lot deeper than guns, and it鈥檚 going to take time to fully understand the impact and repercussions regarding outdoor companies. But how did we get to where we are and where do we go from here?

Who Is Vista Outdoor?

Take a look at the floorplan for the 2018 Shot Show that happened in January, and you鈥檒l see that two of the biggest footprints are Utah-based Vista Outdoor and the National Rifle Association, side by side.

Before it became Vista Outdoor, the company was called Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, in the 1990s. In the following two decades, ATK acquired various ammunition, hunting, and firearms companies, including Blount International, Weaver Optics, Eagle Industries, Blackhawk, Caliber Company, Bushnell Group Holdings, and Savage Arms, a manufacturer of assault-style rifles.

In 2015, in an effort to diversify and 鈥渂ring the world outside,鈥� ATK was renamed Vista Outdoor, and brought in outdoor brands alongside its gun brands. Its first acquisitions were Jimmy Styks SUPs for $40 million and the hydration company CamelBak for $412.5 million.

The next year, Vista Outdoor took several bicycle brands under its wing, including Bell, Giro, Boll茅, Blackburn, and Camp Chef, the outdoor cooking equipment company.

What Went Down?

At the end of February, Vista Outdoor fell under intense scrutiny after the high school shooting on Valentine鈥檚 Day in Parkland, Florida. A 19-year-old former student used a legally-bought Smith & Wesson M&P 15 .223 semi-automatic rifle to kill 17 students and teachers, according to multiple news reports.

Even though the gun was not one of Vista Outdoor鈥檚, the corporation owns the company Savage Arms, which manufacturers its own brand of semi-automatic assault rifles.

And because Vista Outdoor also owns CamelBak, Camp Chef, and other camping and outdoor recreation brands, thousands of members of REI and MEC pressured the retailers鈥攖hrough social media and petitions鈥攖o stop selling the water reservoirs, camp stoves, and other outdoor products, thus taking a stance on gun violence and severing support to the gun industry.

On February 28, MEC suspended future orders with Boll茅, Bushnell, CamelBak, Camp Chef, and Jimmy Styks. REI followed suit the next day, saying it made the decision because Vista Outdoor was not planning 鈥渢o make a public statement that outlines a clear plan of action.鈥�

REI declined to comment about any discussions since the decision. MEC has also remained mum. And in addition to not making a public statement, Vista Outdoor has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

The Running Room, a nationwide running store chain, also suspended future orders from CamelBak.

Some independent stores followed suit, including Boulder Cycle Sports, Sellwood Cycle Repair, Gladys Bikes, and others in Portland, Oregon, and BicycleSPACE in Washington D.C.

OBJ polled readers on where they stand: 4,104 readers said they would not boycott Vista brands, 2,035 said they would, and 366 said they were thinking about it.

What Was the Response?

The public reaction to boycotts has been loud, but not cohesive. When we posted the breaking OBJ story on Facebook, some readers threatened to tear up their REI membership cards over what they considered a 鈥渒nee jerk reaction.鈥� Others said they were proud of the retailer for taking a stance on the gun control debate.

鈥淚t was an ethical decision,鈥� said Nick Allen, who has more than 50 years of experience as both a combat Marine officer and an outdoor industry executive with W.L. Gore and CamelBak. 鈥淭hose retailers made a statement about who they are and who they want to be. Will it make a big difference? Who knows yet.鈥�

Another group of commenters argued that the boycott would only hurt the Vista employees making the products for CamelBak and the others.

鈥淭his wasn鈥檛 an indictment on the products or the employees,鈥� said Justin Hoese, co-owner of Boulder Cycle Sports, a bike shop in Colorado. 鈥淚t was really unfortunate. I had to replace a lot of gear.鈥�

CamelBak, Giro, Bell Racing, and the other brands have tried to distance themselves from Vista鈥檚 gun-slinging operation. CamelBak, founded in 1989, released a statement saying there鈥檚 an incorrect assumption that the purchase of its products supports the shooting sports, and that it 鈥渙perates separately from Vista Outdoor鈥檚 Shooting Sports segment.鈥�

Boulder Cycle鈥檚 Hoese says he hopes Vista Outdoor feels mounting pressure to put the outdoor brands up for sale to release them from the shadow of gun violence. He said, 鈥淲e know they鈥檙e not going to get out of the gun business because it鈥檚 a billion-dollar business and cycling is a fraction of that.鈥�

Dan Hughes, owner of Sunflower Outdoor and Bike in Lawrence, Kansas, says his store carries only a small assortment of CamelBak products, and a Giro helmet or two. He says he didn鈥檛 feel like dropping them would create a big enough dent, especially in a state where gun support is plentiful. Hughes was waiting for the bigger stores to weigh in.

鈥淣ow that they have, it’s vexing to me that even REI’s massive purchasing power has done little to nothing to sway Vista,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淚t kind of underscores my feeling that boycotting those brands is only going to hurt the reps that work for Camelbak and the outdoor brands themselves. I don’t think Vista gives a hoot.鈥�

So, What鈥檚 Next?

Vista Outdoor isn鈥檛 the only corporation with gun-related companies alongside outdoor brands in its portfolio.

So far, there has been no boycott of Black Diamond and avalanche safety equipment brand Pieps, whose parent company,聽Clarus Corporation, also owns Sierra Bullets, maker of handgun (and rifle) ammunition.

Even though Black Diamond has not faced the same pressures as brands under Vista Outdoor, the company is monitoring discussions, said spokesman John DiCuollo, with Backbone Media.

“Clarus Corp operates all its brands in completely separate and discrete manners,” DiCuollo said. “Each brand鈥檚 teams are compiled of experts in their respective fields that are aligned to serve specific markets. For BD, that鈥檚 climbing and backcountry skiing.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation data shows that thousands more people are killed every year with handguns than rifles, shotguns, and other firearms most commonly used by hunters.

鈥淥n the broader scale that is true,鈥� Allen said. 鈥淏ut one of the the clear distinctions is that a pistol is a defensive weapon. A rifle is an offensive weapon.鈥�

While that distinction may be splitting hairs, one thing is certain: this isn鈥檛鈥攁nd never was鈥攁bout hunting.

But the boycott has raised important ethical and moral questions within the outdoor industry.

鈥淚 understand the frustration that people feel about nothing being done, so doing something, like boycotting a brand under the same parent company umbrella is better than doing nothing at all,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淏ut as a retailer, I also have a strong pragmatic streak鈥攐ne that tells me that more effective measures can be taken against gun violence at the ballot box. That’s where I’ll be seeking to affect change, even in a state as red as Kansas.鈥�

Rather than be divided by a stance on the availability of guns, Tawney said there鈥檚 an opportunity for the outdoor and hunting industries to unite around multiple initiatives:

• The Land and Water Conservation Fund that sunsets this September

• The 鈥淏ackpack tax鈥� that would essentially tax some outdoor goods for the sake of public lands, which the Outdoor Industry Association opposes

• The Restoring American鈥檚 Wildlife Act that would annually redirect $1.3 billion of existing revenue to state-led wildlife conservation efforts.

鈥淗unters and hikers are in this together,鈥� Tawney said.

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