Advocacy
Mountaineers have always been fierce advocates for the natural world. Early Mountaineers advocated to protect Olympic National Park, North Cascades National Park, and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Without conserved lands and waters, climate-resilient landscapes, and sustainable recreation access to these places, our organization and the opportunities we provide would cease to exist. Today, our 16,000 members harness our shared passion for the outdoors to speak up on behalf of the natural landscapes that make our adventures possible.
For more on our outdoor advocacy, visit the upper left-hand navigation of this page to learn more about our conservation victories, how we choose issues, our advocacy partners, read our comment letters, and take action on current issues.
A great place to start with your own outdoor advocacy is our Advocacy 101 eLearning course or by reaching out to lawmakers is by looking up who represents you in the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, or in the state legislature. For those in Washington state, here’s a tool to help you find your legislators.
WHAT WE ADVOCATE FOR
We protect the landscapes and ecosystems where we recreate and the outdoor experience these places provide. We advocate for conservation and recreation policies that protect public lands and sustainable recreation access, and we've seen the successful impact we can have when our members speak up.
We’re strategic about what advocacy issues we take on. The Mountaineers current advocacy agenda prioritizes four key issues:
- Landscape conservation
- Climate action
- Public lands funding
- Sustainable and equitable outdoor access
The majority of our focus is on national public lands, including National Forests and Parks, as nearly two-thirds of Mountaineers outdoor activities take place on federal lands.
From there, we engage strategically on issues affecting Washington State lands and waters - primarily those managed by State Parks, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fish and Wildlife. We occasionally engage in county and local issues where multiple Mountaineers programs and priorities intersect.
HOW WE ADVOCATE
From Washington State to Washington DC, we educate, organize, and lobby to influence public policy and land management by:
- Shaping solutions-oriented legislation that protects public lands and the outdoor experience.
- Investing in relationships with legislators and land managers.
- Engaging in land planning processes and comment opportunities.
- Leading and participating in partnerships and coalitions to amplify our impact.
- Educating and empowering outdoor enthusiasts to take action on current issues.
WHY WE’RE EFFECTIVE
The Mountaineers is uniquely positioned to have an outsized advocacy impact.
- Authenticity: We speak with an authentic voice. Our community of outdoor enthusiasts have a personal connection to place that makes them powerful advocates for conservation.
Nonpartisan: We have a reputation for being moderate, pragmatic, and for working across party lines, increasing our ability to get things done.
High Engagement: When we ask our community to speak up, they take action in high numbers, making policymakers take notice.
Amplified Impact: Our authentic engagement is backed up with strong partnerships and deep policy expertise. We team up with like-minded organizations to achieve wins we couldn’t on our own.
TAKE ACTION
Your voice is powerful! You can advocate for the places you love by taking action.
Being an effective advocate starts with knowing your issues and the basics about conservation and advocacy. Learn more about conservation and advocacy through our conservation education resources and by signing up for our monthly conservation e-newsletter, Conservation Currents. We regularly share current advocacy issues and action opportunities.
Our action alerts make it easy for you to contact your elected representatives. It typically takes two minutes to send a message - you can personalize it too! Stand up for public lands by completing one of our current action alerts.