Take Me Outdoors

“It’s an interesting time for outdoor recreation - we were called the sleeping giant just a few years ago. The giant is now awake!” - Jessica Wahl While it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all of the uncertainties in our turbulent political climate, this week’s guest brings some light to all of the positive things that are in motion that affect our lands and industry. I sat down with Jessica Wahl, the Government Affairs Manager at the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) who’s on the front lines in DC making a difference at the policy level. Jessica fell in love with the outdoors when she saw how it changed lives and improved communities through her previous work with the Office of the Secretary on external affairs and youth engagement in the outdoors. Jessica got to work closely with companies like Patagonia, KEEN and The North Face, so joining the ranks at OIA seemed like the perfect next step for her. When Jessica first came to OIA, more of her focus was on conservation but recently that focus has widened to an