WHAT WE DO
For many people, the first time they hike a scenic trail, float a pristine river, fish for an elusive trout, or bike a challenging single track is with the help of an outfitter, guide, volunteer-based club, university outdoor program, or non-profit outdoor organization.
These organized groups connect adults, youth, underrepresented communities, and people from all walks of life to the outdoors. They also make sure outdoor experiences are enjoyable and safe, they promote stewardship of the environment, and they help people make meaningful connections with America’s public lands and waters.
In order to provide these valuable experiences, outdoor recreation service providers are required to have a special recreation permit from the land management agency. Unfortunately, the current process for administering special recreation permits is not flexible enough to accommodate evolving uses of public lands and waters by a wide range of user groups. This is unnecessarily restricting opportunities for people to enjoy public lands, it is limiting outdoor recreation job growth, and it is stifling the economic vitality of rural communities that depend upon recreation tourism.
In an effort to address these issues and improve access to the outdoors, a committed group of outdoor industry leaders have established the Coalition for Outdoor Access (formerly the Outdoor Access Working Group).
MISSION
The mission of the Coalition for Outdoor Access (COA) is to increase access to public lands for guided outdoor recreation and education activities.