A Letter from Our Owner

As you read this, I will be with my family on a multi-day river float through Hells Canyon on the Snake River, an experience made possible due to the existence of our nation’s public lands. During the week, we will float through a National Recreation Area, a designated Wilderness, and three National Forests, all of which are federal lands – public lands – at risk of being parceled out and sold to private interests by the Trump administration and an enabling Congress. I hate that this feels like a partisan statement because support for public lands isn’t partisan. American voters in both parties overwhelmingly support keeping public lands protected and in public hands.

Sadly, when I say, "our public lands are under attack," I don't mean in some distant, abstract way. Not in a way that only affects scientists, conservationists, or people who spend their careers thinking about land management. 

I mean the campgrounds where we learned to pitch a tent, the trails where we found confidence, the rivers where we found peace, the national parks we list and aspire to see, the wild places we hope our children and grandchildren will someday experience for themselves. It is not an exaggeration to state that we could lose those public lands, and the nature and wildlife within them, forever.

The recent news of the Trump administration’s efforts to dramatically shrink the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are just the latest example.

These places belong to us. They are mine and yours. But the threats are real, and now we’ve got to fight to keep it that way.

Over the last eighteen months, we've seen repeated efforts to sell off public lands, expand extraction and development at the expense of recreation and conservation, reduce staffing at agencies responsible for protecting these places, and weaken environmental safeguards that have helped preserve some of America's most irreplaceable landscapes.

Our current administration and corporate greed want to take these places from us: 

These are just a subset of the lands at risk. The scale can feel overwhelming. I'll be honest: there are days when I feel exhausted and discouraged by the magnitude of what's happening. Many of you probably feel the same way. 

But giving up isn't an option. We, the people who care about these places, have always been their strongest line of defense. 

Over the years, I've testified before Congress on the importance of public lands investment, traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for conservation, written op-eds, supported organizations financially, and worked alongside an incredible community of nonprofits and advocates. 

What I've learned is this: no individual efforts matter more than the collective will of people who are willing to show up, speak up, and participate. 

Real change happens when thousands of people decide that something they love is worth fighting for.  

I'm humbly asking you to channel your fear, frustration, or concern into action. Write letters. Make calls. Donate. Sign petitions. Attend meetings. Support organizations doing the hard work every day. Take your family camping. Introduce a friend to a favorite trail. Show others why these places matter. 

Organizations like Outdoor Alliance, Trust for Public Land, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and The Nature Conservancy are just a few of the non-profits fighting every day to protect the places we love. They need more advocates and more supporters.  If you have a more local organization, choose that one and get engaged. 

When public lands need defenders, will you stand in? 

When wildlife, rivers, forests, deserts, and mountains need a voice, will you lend yours? 

At Eagle Creek, we'll continue advocating for the protection of the lands that have given so much to all of us. The next generation deserves the same opportunities we've had: to hike trails, paddle waters, sleep under stars, and create memories of their own on public lands. 

Don’t let the future of our public lands be determined by people who don’t care. The future must be decided by those who do.

People like you and me. 

I hope you'll join us. 

Sincerely, 
Travis Campbell