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Outdoor Retailers Take A Powerful Stand Against Trump

Sarah Midkiff
December 5, 2017, 3:15 AM
Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images.
Outdoor retailers Patagonia, REI, and North Face took a stand against Trump's elimination of protected land by sharing very direct messages of disappointment and calls to action across their websites and social media.
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed two proclamations which cut down the size of two national monuments in Utah by two millions acres, The New York Times reports. The drastic reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante are the largest rollback of federal land protection in United States' history.
"Together we will usher in a bright new future of wonder and wealth," said Trump while speaking at Utah's State Capitol in a push for fewer restrictions and more development on public land. The decision puts dozens of other monuments at risk of being reduced and opened up to oil and gas extraction, mining, logging, and other commercial activities.
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Shortly after Trump's announcement, Patagonia, REI, and North Face shared their reaction to the news on social media. "The President Stole Your Land," reads the tweet from Patagonia in bold letters, calling Trump's decision "an illegal move."
REI tweeted a call to action for their followers to join them in solidarity by changing their profile pictures to an image reading, "We love our public lands." They also shared a message on their website's homepage. "Despite the loss of millions of acres of protected land today, REI will continue to advocate for the places we all love. #unitedoutside," the website read.
The North Face posted a message of disapointment, adding that they are donating "$100,000 to the development of a Bears Ears Education Center." In their tweet, they shared a link to a Kickstarter fund set up by the non-profit organization, Friends of Cedar Mesa.
The people of Twitter responded in support of the companies' statements. "I feel like buying all my gifts at Patagonia this year," wrote one. "Time to take a stand," wrote another. Countless people marched to the Utah State Capitol in protest of the decision.
Patagonia's homepage is dedicated to fighting for public lands. Filled with educational information, sources, and ways to get involved, the outdoor retailer is also threatening to sue the White House over an executive order which mandates the Department of the Interior review all national monuments designated in the last 21 years.
"A president does not have the authority to rescind a National Monument. An attempt to change the boundaries ignores the review process of cultural and historical characteristics and the public input," said Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, in a statement. "We’re watching the Trump administration’s actions very closely and preparing to take every step necessary, including legal action, to defend our most treasured public landscapes from coast to coast."

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