Washington, DC – Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) was presented the Outdoor Industry Association 2009 Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award for his leadership in advocating for public policies that support the growth and success of the active outdoor industry. The award was presented at a reception on Capitol Hill during the annual Outdoor Industry Association Capitol Summit in Washington, DC on April 21st through April 23rd.
“Congressman Grijalva has been a strong leader in advocating for public land policies that recognize the importance of protecting and providing adequate funding of our iconic recreation destinations,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of OIA. “We are deeply appreciative of his efforts.”
Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) is chairman of the House subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands. The Subcommittee oversees 600, 000 million acres of federal land.
During his tenure as chair of the committee, Congressman Grijalva has been a staunch proponent of increasing funding for public lands and for policies that prioritize the preservation of wilderness and opportunities for human-powered recreation.
Congressman Grijalva is lead sponsor of the congressional measure that will provide permanent congressional recognition of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System. Grijalva has tirelessly worked this bill through complicated legislative procedures during the past two years.
Congressman Grijalva is also the lead sponsor and author of the House-version of the National Park Service Centennial Initiative. His bill would provide the NPS $1 billion over a ten-year period to fund signature projects in the National Parks in advance of the 2016 NPS Centennial.
During the Bush Administration, Congressman Grijalva served as a congressional watchdog of the Department of Interior as he pushed for a more balanced approach to energy development on public lands in which the needs and benefits of human-powered recreation would be given considerable weight in the decision-making process. At the end of 2008, he asked the Forest Service to make its recreation fee program more transparent to the paying-public and has prioritized hearings on the recreation fee program in his committee’s agenda for 2009.
“I’d like to thank the Outdoor Industry Association for this honor,” said Congressman Grijalva. “When we invest in the protection of our natural heritage, we also invest in the well-being of our people and the health of our economy. America’s public lands provide recreation for our citizens, as well as opportunity for the active outdoor recreation industry. I remain committed to protecting our nation’s natural and cultural resources so that Americans can continue to enjoy them, responsibly, for generations to come,” he continued.
The Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award is presented annually to members of Congress and administration officials in recognition for their leadership in support of the active outdoor recreation industry. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) was also named a 2009 award recipient.
Past recipients of the Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award include:
2008: Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), Representative Mark Udall (D-CO)
2007: Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE), Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO),
2006: Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO)
2005: Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
2004: Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Representative Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
2003: Representative David Obey (D-WI), Representative Nancy Johnson (R-CT)
2002 Representative Norm Dicks (D-WA)
2001: Representative George Miller (D-CA), Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH)