May 15, 2003--The outdoor industry continues to buzz over Black Diamond Equipment President and CEO Peter Metcalf's recent OpEd piece in the Salt Lake Tribune. In his letter to the paper Metcalf took Utah Governor Mike Leavitt to task for signing a backroom deal with Interior Secretary Gail Norton, agreeing to drop a state lawsuit against the feds if Norton would consent to removing wilderness protections currently in place on millions of acres of Utah land, pending possible wilderness designation. The deal opens the way for extractive industry and motorized recreation to move in.

Metcalf claimed in the Tribune that "Leavitt's deals are jeapordizing the health of backcountry recreation destinations and outdoor businesses in Utah...the outdoor industry generates $18 billion a year across the country and plays a key role in Utah's economy. According to the governor's own Office of Planning and Budget, tourism is one of the most important econonomic activities in the state." Then Metcalf dropped the bombshell: "..the twice a year Outdoor Retailer trade shows are the two largest trade shows to come to this state each year. I worked hard to help get this show here some seven years ago and the governor should be on notice that there are many, myself included, who believe it is time to consider pulling these out of Utah in protest of the message the state has sent the outdoor industry and community."

Local officials estimate that the Outdoor Retailer trade shows bring in $24 million a year to the Salt Lake City economy.

Reaction has been swift and wide ranging. Outdoor Industry Association president Frank Hugelmeyer fired off a letter of his own to Leavitt, saying he is prepared to relocate the Outdoor Retailer show if OIA members don't want it in Utah because of Leavitt's recent "behind-the-scenes settlement with the Department of Interior regarding wilderness protection." Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman expressed concern to Tribune reporter Thomas Burr over the possibility the shows might relocate. Workman told Burr through an aide, " Obviously it's an important convention to us," and offered to meet with Metcalf to try to resolve the issue. And a group of councilmen wrote a letter to the mayor saying the county cannot afford to lose the Outdoor Retailer shows, urging Workman to let show organizers know that Salt Lake county opposes Leavitt's deal.

A competitor of Metcalf's, Petzl chief Mark "Roody" Rasmussen, has publicly come out in support of the BD's CEO's position. In yet another letter to Leavitt, Rasmussen wrote, "As president of a company supplying outdoor sports equipment, I wish to support the carefully considered opinion column by Peter Metcalf that appeared in last Sunday's Salt Lake Tribune...We moved our distribution center to Utah because of two strong perceptions: First, that the center of the outdoor industry is here in Utah, and second, that Utah's local governments actively support the outdoor
industry because they understand the financial benefits generated by our wild landscape...Open lands and wilderness do not detract from Utah's future economy. They support it with tourism and recreation dollars -- clean, sustainable industries. Balanced stewardship of our wilderness lands equals not only a future for the outdoors that will continue through coming generations, but also an intelligent business decision."

Outdoor Retailer: "We are looking at Denver"

Meanwhile, Outdoor Retailer trade show director Peter Devin yesterday told Telemarktips.com, "we are looking at Denver, Denver is definitely on our radar, we would be foolish not to be considering Denver as a possible replacement location for both the Winter and Summer Market shows."

Devin stressed that the Laguna Beach-based Outdoor Retailer will do what its membership wants them to do, "this is not a political decision for us, it's a market decision, if our market (the outdoor industry) wants us to move out of Salt Lake over this issue, we will do it," Devin said. Summing up the situation Devin continued, "it's a big deal for us, we have agreements in place in Utah through 2010 and contracts up to 2005, but we fully intend to make sure that any decision we make on moving the shows reflects the desires of industry we serve."

Metcalf Calls For Industry Support

On May 12th, in a Guest Editorial published in SNEWS, an industry trade publication, Peter Metcalf followed up by calling on manufacturers and retailers to "take a few moments to consider both the issue of the economic value of wilderness and how it affects your business as well as where we, as an industry, hold our show. I believe it is time that we use our show's location as a means to negotiate for a state's support for wilderness initiatives...we don't have many other tools at our disposal and none as strong as this."

Metcalf went on to point out that extractive industries have been using any and all means they have available to influence the debate and decision making process concerning wilderness issues. He called the industry to action, urging members to email their feelings to OIA, who would then forward the comments to Governor Leavitt.

"It is now time for all of us and our industry to do the same (as the extractive use industries), Metcalf wrote. "It appears our economic sledgehammer, though more stealth-like, is actually larger."