Higher Ground

How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World

By: Luis Benitez, Frederick Reimers

Narrated by: Luis Benitez

Our public lands are the places we go for relief from modern society and to know ourselves better. They are also the economic basis for one of our nations strongest economic pillars: the outdoor recreation industry.

Every day, we face severe news reports of the state of climate change. All the while our current Supreme Court is rolling back clean air standards as the former administration did their best to dismantle our clean water laws and weaken protections on our treasured public lands.

Outdoor recreation is becoming a recognized force in the United States. As an economic sector, outdoor recreation spans from New Hampshire ski resorts to Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn, from the fishing guides plying the Florida Keys for tarpon to gear manufacturers like the North Face. The sector employs 5 million people and is measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at $1.1 trillion in annual economic impact. That is almost larger than the auto industry ($340 billion) and the pharmaceutical industry ($331 billion) combined. Luis Benitez is the emerging face of the outdoor industry's political movement. He is a former international mountaineering guide who guided famed blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer to the summit of Mount Everest. In 2015, Benitez was appointed director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office by Colorado governor John Hickenlooper.

In 2019, he was hired as vice president of governmental affairs and global impact for VF Corp, parent company of outdoor industry giants The North Face, Smartwool, and Eagle Creek. People are suffering and an environmental crisis is looming over us, and through this book, you will come to understand why the outdoor recreation industry is so much more than fun equipment and amazing experiences. You will see that it is possible for the one remaining bipartisan economy in the United States to save the world.

©2024 Di Angelo Publications (P)2024 Di Angelo Publications

Outdoor enthusiasts must read

In a world of nothing but negative and anxiety of our future, Luis brings us, the outdoor recreation community, a success story that should drive our future actions in conservation, public access to outdoor activities, and most of all, bi-partisan promise.

Luis walks through his life in a sort of biography way but applies experiences into what should drive the future of our outdoor recreation activism. I have been searching for ways to get involved, but frankly, I feel hopeless. This book reignited my desire and really help me see this industry is a powerhouse and needs to start acting like it.

Luis told the story himself. Not without some missteps in the audio book; I honestly enjoyed the authenticity of it. Great audio book. I purchased the book too bc we should be supporting guys like Luis.