Outdoor Retailers, Governor Agree to Work Together on Roadless Forests Petition

None by Lara Jones

(KCPW News) The Outdoor Retailers Winter Market wrapped up yesterday at the Salt Palace, but not before organizers got Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. to abandon his draft petition on roadless forest rules:

"We got a promise and yes, I believe, when the governor gives us his promise and commitment, I believe in that, for sure."

Peter Metcalf is president and CEO of Utah-based climbing gear maker Black Diamond. He also is vice-char of the executive committee of the Outdoor Industry Association, which produces the twice-a-year tradeshow in Salt Lake City. In the past, OIA has threatened to take the tradeshow and the $50 million it pumps into the local economy elsewhere unless certain environmental concessions were made by the governor. Metcalf says no such threats were made during a meeting earlier this week:

"We didn't threaten to walk but we made it clear to the governor that this is truly a foundational issue to this industry, it's truly a foundational issue to our members, and that it would clearly go national if were unable to get his support to some level on this."

Huntsman told Metcalf and other OIA executives that he would scrap a petition that would have done away with protection of Utah's 4 million acres of roadless national forest lands. Had Huntsman moved ahead with that petition, Metcalf says OIA would have "vehemently" opposed him.

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