As I write this, Kristen, Carl, and I find ourselves surrounded by mountains and outdoor leaders in Estes Park. We are here for COILS, the Colorado Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit. During opening remarks, many topics were discussed: the health and economic impact of our outdoors, the value these places bring to Colorado, the leadership our state has shown in stewarding these resources—but one topic seemed to keep coming up: the fact that our federal government is currently shut down.

The last time this happened, public lands were managed by skeleton crews at best. That left the places we all care about exposed to significant resource damage and vandalism. And as the “three-headed monster” (Kristen, Carl, and me) settled in for COILS opening remarks, I was reminded just how interconnected this industry is. Every sector that interacts with public lands, from the government land managers to outfitters to small businesses to nonprofits, feel the impacts of this shutdown.

There was a piece of me, however, that felt hopeful, simply because we were surrounded by these leaders. RMFI is honored to be a part of an ecosystem of service providers, advocates, managers, and businesses that care for our public lands. The volume and diversity of talents in this industry lend it resilience, and by extension, lend resilience to our public lands.

That is why it is so important to support nonprofit and volunteer stewards of public lands. Our government partners empower us to do incredible work, but when circumstances tie their hands, organizations like RMFI can step up in a meaningful way, caring for our region’s public lands when they need it most.

As we enter the final stretch of 2025, we appreciate your consideration of supporting nonprofits like us with your time, treasure, and talent.

Sam Hinkle