I applaud and support key recreational industry leaders who have pulled out of the Outdoor Retailer shows in Salt Lake City (“Outdoor rec industry defends public lands,” HCN, 2/20/17). As an individual, I can also play a role in swaying the policy opinions of the Utah delegation regarding protection of public lands. And that role is to spend my recreational dollars in states other than Utah. If enough outdoor recreationists adopted this position, they would collectively have a negative financial impact on local communities adjacent to these public lands. As their livelihoods suffer, I suspect they would complain to their representatives about the negative consequences their policy positions have on the Utah tourist industry. It may not change things overnight, but history (South Africa) has shown that it is one of the few things that gets the attention of the so-called leaders.
Although I have spent many wonderful days traipsing through southern Utah, I will defer any future trips to this beautiful part of the country until the Utah delegation backs off from its extreme policy positions on public lands. And if I have to drive through Utah to get to other states, I will fill my tank at the Colorado border so as not to have to spend one cent in Utah.
John Scahill
Pagosa Springs, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Boycott Utah.
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