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DENVER (AP) — As attendees of the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City grow increasingly concerned about Utah's push to sell federal public lands, Colorado's governor says his state would be a good fit for the show.
John Hickenlooper tells The Denver Post that competition is healthy, and he'll always argue that Colorado is a better place for shows involving the outdoors industry. His comments follow those of Black Diamond Equipment founder Peter Metcalf, who says keeping the show in Utah makes the industry complicit in supporting strategies that don't align with its values.
Metcalf says recent moves by elected officials, like a bill by Republican Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz directing the Interior secretary to sell certain federal lands throughout the West, warrant denunciation.
For two decades, Outdoor Retailer has drawn more than 20,000 people a year to Utah, delivering $45 million in annual economic impact.
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