CONSERVATION AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2000 PASSES FULL HOUSE BACKED BY ORCA AND BROAD OUTDOOR INDUSTRY COALITION TITLE

$2.8 billion approved for wildlands and open spaces;
Bill passes by wide bipartisan vote - 315 to 102

BOULDER, Colo. and WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 12, 2000) -- ORCA, the trade association for the $5.5 billion dollar outdoor recreation industry, celebrated an important victory with the passage today by the House of Representatives of the Conservation and Reinvestment ACT (CARA) of 2000. Passage of CARA means; $2.8 billion every year for the outdoors; complete funding of the Land and Water Recreation Fund totaling $900 million for the protection of wildlands and open spaces; $200 million for land restoration projects; and $350 million for state fish and wildlife programs. ORCA, through its increased lobbying efforts in Washington D.C., rallied the industry and was instrumental in securing this success.

"The passage of CARA by the House is a critical milestone for the outdoor industry," said Frank Hugelmeyer, executive director of ORCA. "This is the first step towards securing the protection of millions of acres of parks for future generations. Our industry has rallied behind this important goal and will continue its relentless support until the Senate finally passes the bill. We applaud those Members of Congress who have been champions for this bill. This is a great day yet there is still plenty of work ahead of us."

The passage of CARA has been ORCA's top issue for the past year and a half. ORCA led a fundraising effort to fortify its efforts in Washington and raised over $114,000 from more than 60 leading outdoor companies to expand its lobbying efforts through the ORCA Outdoor Fund.

"We worked side by side with a broad group of people passionate about the outdoors," said Myrna Johnson, director of government relations at ORCA. "We joined with outdoor businesses, mayors, all 50 governors, historic preservationists, soccer moms and every day citizens interested in the preservation of open space for our children."

The next step is consideration by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, likely in June.

ORCA was founded in 1989 and today has over 1100 members representing manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, sales representatives, and climbing gyms. ORCA's projects support the day-to-day business of the outdoor industry and include: the bimonthly Top-line Retail Sales Report, presenting retail sales by product category; the State of the Industry Report, summarizing outdoor participation and trend data; representation in Washington on key outdoor issues; the annual ORCA Outdoor Industry Rendezvous and cost-saving benefits. ORCA is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. For further information, contact www.orca.org.

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