Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) presented the 2012 Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award Wednesday to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA-8). OIA recognizes members of Congress and administration officials for their leadership in support of the outdoor recreation industry.


“Senator Shaheen and Congressman Reichert have gone to bat on issues supported by the outdoor industry,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of OIA. “They serve on several key committees, and their continued backing of OIA’s policies makes them valued advocates on both trade and recreation issues.”


Shaheen co-sponsored legislation that would ensure the survival of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal program that invests in the national recreation system, including close-to-home and urban places. In addition, she spoke at an America’s Great Outdoors event in New Hampshire, lending her support to this initiative that seeks to reconnect Americans to the outdoors and promote community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces.


Shaheen has also supported trade legislation that would lower the cost of outdoor products and open new markets for outdoor businesses. She is a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests.


Reichert has been a strong supporter of the outdoor industry and is the lead sponsor of the U.S. OUTDOOR Act, the top OIA trade priority. Reichert uses his position as a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Subcommittee on Trade to support policy and legislation that benefit outdoor companies and promote the growth of the industry.


Reichert has also been a strong proponent for the LWCF, by co-sponsoring an amendment to enhance the program and opposed an amendment that would have eliminated the LWCF. He is a co-chair of both the Land Conservation and National Parks caucuses.


The Friend of the Outdoor Industry Awards are presented by industry executives during the OIA Capitol Summit, an annual outdoor industry lobbying event.


Past recipients of the Friend of the Outdoor Industry Award include:



  • 2011: Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
  • 2010: Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).
  • 2009: Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
  • 2008: Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO)
  • 2007: Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE), Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
  • 2006: Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
  • 2005: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
  • 2004: Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
  • 2003: Rep. David Obey (D-WI), Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT)
  • 2002: Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA)
  • 2001: Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH)