Obama’s First Bill Signing Will be a Big Win for Public Lands

The outdoor industry is likely to get an initial big win early in this Congress as one of the first bills President Obama will sign into law is the massive public lands package headed for his desk.

The legislation (S. 22) is a big win for the recreation and conservation community as it includes permanent recognition for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System. The NLCS encompasses 26 million acres containing the iconic desert landscapes of the western U.S. More than one-third of all recreational visits occur on these lands.

The bill's other provisions are equally as important as they will create 2.2 million acres of wilderness, designate three new national parks, designate several national trails, designate more than 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers and designate 10 national heritage areas.

• The three new national park units would make the birthplace of President Bill Clinton in Hope, Arkansas, a National Historic Site; it would create River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Michigan on sites related to the War of 1812; and it would establish a national historical park around the water power system at Passaic Great Falls in New Jersey to recognize and preserve Alexander Hamilton's breakthroughs in industrial production.
  

The 15 different proposals for new or expanded wilderness areas are the largest expansion of the National Wilderness Preservation System since 1994. New wilderness includes:

• 517,000 acres in the Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands of southwestern Idaho.
• In Utah, more than 260,000 acres of land will receive wilderness designation and 166 miles of the Virgin River will receive wild and scenic status. The bill would also create two National Conservation Areas in Washington County, resulting in recreational opportunities on 140,000 acres.
• 130,000 acres surrounding Oregon's Mount Hood will receive wilderness designation.
  

Finally, the bill will withdraw 1.2 million acres of the Bridger Teton National Forest south of Jackson Hole from future oil and gas leasing.

Youth Participation Findings in 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report

Last week, The Outdoor Foundation released the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, the only detailed study of its kind tracking American participation trends in outdoor recreation. The findings revealed that participation in outdoor activities is rising overall, but disturbingly, participation among children is declining significantly.

The report – based on an on-line survey capturing responses from over 60,000 Americans ages six and older and covering 114 different outdoor activities – examines trends in the extent and frequency of youth participation in outdoor activities and reports on the motivations of youth participants and non-participants.

The most concerning finding of the report reveals that participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped over 11% in 2007. The drop was sharpest among youth ages 6 to 12, particularly girls age 6 to 12 whose participation fell from 77% to 61%.

In an age of extreme video games, online social networks, infinite television options and rising obesity rates, connecting youth with the healthy active outdoor lifestyle is critical. The decline in youth participation in outdoor recreation highlights the importance of nationwide efforts to understand and reverse the growing inactivity crisis among youth and the growing disconnect between youth and the outdoors. The insights detailed in the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report are critical to these efforts.

Findings in the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report specific to youth include:

Participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped over 11% in 2007.

Participation among boys and girls age 6-12 experienced the sharpest drop. Girls had the biggest decline falling from 77% to 61%. Boys fell from 79% to 72%.

Most youth are introduced to outdoor activities by parents, friends, family, and relatives.

For youth, "fun" is by far the most common motivation for participating in outdoor activities. Other motivators include discovery, exploration, new experiences, and exercise.

Youth of all ages who do not participate in outdoor activities cite a lack of interest as their primary reason. Lack of interest is followed by a lack of time, competition from other responsibilities (primarily schoolwork) and a preference for screen media such as TV, computers and video games.

Dismal Holiday Pushes Domestic Mills Over the Brink

The dismal holiday season at retail has forced a slew of textile plant closings, dealing another blow to the viability of an already withering domestic textile and apparel industry.

Invista, Milliken & Co. and Gildan Activewear are among the companies that are cutting back.

The frequency of factory closings has gained momentum since late September. As economic conditions worsened through October and November and holiday orders failed to materialize, the pace of layoffs and plant shutdowns accelerated, with North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee particularly hard hit.

The recent spate of layoffs and closures hasn’t been limited to the few remaining independent mills, said Lloyd Wood, director of membership and media outreach at the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition.

“You’re seeing the most efficient people out there closing plants,” Wood said. “The weak sisters have long disappeared, and you’re seeing the best of the best either drastically reduce operations in some instances or shut down plants.”

Invista, which manufacturers products such as Coolmax and Lycra, has made significant cutbacks. In October, the company said it would trim 400 of its 500 workers at a carpet fiber facility in Seaford, Del. This was followed in early December with the announcement that the company would lay off more than 200 out of 600 employees at a facility in Waynesboro, Va. Invista said a plunge in demand for home carpeting forced the company to halt nylon production at the plant. Soon after Christmas, Invista said it was shuttering a yarn processing plant in Athens, Ga., with 50 workers losing jobs.

Milliken & Co. and Gildan Activewear have also been forced to reduce costs. Milliken announced the closing of a textile plant in Barnwell, S.C., on Dec. 30 that employed 125 people. In releasing its year-end financial results on Dec. 11, Gildan said it would “phase out sock finishing operations in the U.S. by the end of June and consolidate operations in Honduras, in order to remain globally competitive in the current economic conditions.”

As a result, the company said it would eliminate 200 jobs at its facility in Fort Payne, Ala., and close a knitting factory in Virginia that employed 180 people. Gildan also plans to expand production capabilities in the Dominican Republic.

Smaller textile players that had been treading water in recent years reached the end of the line when holiday orders failed to materialize and the chance for future orders disappeared. Belmont, N.C.-based yarn manufacturer R.L. Stowe Mills Inc. said on Jan. 5 that it would close within 60 days, bringing the company’s 108-year run to an end.

“Business conditions in the fourth quarter deteriorated suddenly and dramatically,” said president and chief executive officer D. Harding Stowe. “Looking forward, management does not see sales returning to levels sufficient to sustain business.”

The coalition’s Wood said, “It’s not about competence. It really is about the economic conditions and the underlying [government trade] policy. Until one of those things is fixed, it’s going to be tough for anybody.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a total of 2.6 million jobs were lost in 2008. More than half evaporated in the last four months of the year, and the unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent last month from 6.7 percent in November. Textile mills manufacturing apparel fabric eliminated 2,900 positions last year to employ 138,800 workers. Home furnishing fabric manufacturers, known as textile product mills, cut 1,700 positions to 143,500. Apparel manufacturers eliminated 2,800 jobs to 185,300.

Since the push to manufacture abroad that began in the Seventies, domestic apparel manufacturing has steadily dwindled. In 1973, apparel manufacturing employment topped out at 1.5 million, while the textile industry peaked at 1.3 million in 1951.

The downward trend is expected to continue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Career Guide to Industries, about 595,000 people were employed in the textile and apparel manufacturing industries in 2006. That number is expected to contract by more than 35 percent by 2016. California, Georgia and North Carolina employ more than 40 percent of all workers in the industry.

OIA TOPLINE SPECIALTY RETAILER NOVEMBER 2008

OIA TOPLINE SPECIALTY RETAILER NOVEMBER 2008

OIA TOPLINE NOVEMBER 2008 INTERNET

OIA TOPLINE NOVEMBER 2008 INTERNET

NOVEMBER 2008 YEAR OVER YEAR INTERNET SALES

NOVEMBER 2008 YEAR OVER YEAR INTERNET

OIA - November 2008 Year over Year Specialty Chain

November 2008 Year over Year Retail Specialy Chain

OIA - Specialty Retailer Ops Report 2007

OIA Specialty Retailer Ops Report 2007

November Outdoor Sales Slow, Accessories Remain Bright Spot

The difficult economic situation slowed outdoor industry sales in November, according to the most recent edition of The OIA Outdoor Topline Report.

The day after Thanksgiving has long been the traditional kick-off of the Holiday shopping season. This year, Black Friday occurred on November 28, leaving only three big shopping days in November. Black Monday, traditionally the biggest day for Internet deals and sales, occurred on December 1, removing those online sales from November altogether. It remains to be seen how much of a boost Black Monday sales will give December, but the timing could only hurt November’s tally. Last year, Black Friday fell on November 23 and Black Monday fell on November 26.

November Sales
In monthly sales, retail sales for all core outdoor stores (chain, internet, specialty)* fell 11% in dollars ($407,383,909) compared to November 2007 ($458,334,314), the first month of overall dollar sales decline since the recession started in December 2007. All three store channels and all four major product categories (equipment, equipment accessories, apparel and footwear) declined in November.

Internet sales saw their first month of negative sales growth since the OIA Topline began tracking online sales in 2005. The channel declined 7% in overall dollars compared to November 2007. All four major product categories slid in November. Core outdoor chain stores lost 19% in overall dollar sales compared to November 2007, with declines coming from all four product categories. Specialty stores fell 8% from last November, as all four major product categories suffered losses.

All paddle product sales from all three channels (specialty, chain, and internet) fell 16% in units and 19% in dollars with retail prices dropping 4%. All three store channels declined in November, suffering across-the-board losses compared to November 2007. However, November is a very small month for paddlesport sales, accounting for less than 3% of each year’s total. Year to date, overall dollar sales were down just 2%.

Several bright spots emerged in November. Looking at all three channels, small items such as water bottles, headwear and handwear increased sales. Winter boots also fared well; the category grew 6% compared to last November.

November sales account for about 9% of a typical year’s total dollars. This November’s declines were not enough to affect the entire year. Year-to-date, all three channels together were up 5% in total unit sales and 6% in dollar sales. In YTD dollars, all equipment increased 8%, equipment accessories 10%, apparel 5% and footwear 4%. All three store channels’ YTD dollar sales remained in the black through the end of November.

Peter Novelli Frim Examines US Holiday Shopping Trends

NEW YORK -- No one can truly predict the future in this volatile economy. What really matters for marketers is consumer behavior today -- what and how people are spending, or not, in reaction to the economic crisis.

"Black Friday sales were better than expected, but no one should be fooled into believing that the spike is a harbinger of good things for the rest of the holiday shopping season," says Michael Ramah, Porter Novelli Partner and Global Director of Strategic Planning. "Marketers don't need tea leaves. They need a cool-headed strategy in order to face their individual communications challenges during this time of unbridled change.

"Porter Novelli has identified 10 consumer behavior trends as the most impactful upon retailers, shoppers and marketers right now. The agency has also analyzed its 2008 ConsumerStyles data to segment consumers on dimensions that are most likely to drive shopping behaviors this holiday season (results below). Porter Novelli ConsumerStyles is a proprietary annual survey that explores attitudes, opinions and behaviors of consumers 18 years of age or older.

Here, the 10 key shopping trends Porter Novelli encourages retailers and marketers to consider right now:

1. Willing to Wait. Consumers want to buy, but in this economic climate they're willing to wait until the price is right. For marketers, it'simperative to identify specific areas of pent-up demand: Who is waiting to buy which products, and what will trigger them to spend?

2. Decidedly Undecided. For many consumers, it's not that they don't want to buy--they have the urge. It's that they don't know what they want. The implication for marketers: For some consumers, the emotional high that comes from acquiring the purchase is more enticing than the item itself.

3. Discount Dash. With millions of Americans deciding whether to spend a little or spend nothing at all this holiday season, the outlook seems bright for discounters. That means non-discounters need to compete on value, because they can't compete on price.

4. One for Me, One for Me. The International Council of Shopping Centers found that 81% of Americans who planned to shop on Black Friday weekend intended to buy something for themselves--up from 69% in 2007. With funds limited, consumers are asking themselves, "Should I be altruistic...or narcissistic?" Either answer adds up to sales.

5. All in for Next-Gen. Familiar technologies such as computers and music players are facing likely sales declines of 10%, but newer productssuch as Blu-ray players, smartphones and HDTVs are expected to do well. To build sales, marketers should consider bundling the old with the new.

6. Online on Top. More consumers than ever will be shopping online this year, looking to save time and money, avoid crowds and find a better selection of products. Companies who can make online and interactive marketing work even smarter and more efficiently will win.

7. Text to Shop. Scarborough Research data shows text messaging delivers a young, multicultural audience for marketers by providing a very locally targeted vehicle. Amazon.com is already tapping into texting over the holiday period to deliver its Deal of the Day, which recipients can purchase using their phone. The critical point for text marketing pioneers is to figure out how to use this tool without becoming anuisance.

8. Future Tense. Black Friday retail performance was better than expected, but all signs point to tough times ahead for retailers. If sales contract and retailers scale back, marketing communicators will need to work a lot harder and a lot smarter to earn their keep.

9. Just Saying No. Not long ago, consumers blithely made impulse buys with cash or credit. But the less secure about cash flow shoppers become, the more they will have second thoughts. Retailers and product marketers must become adept at engaging with "second thought" consumers; they are likely to see a lot more of them.

10. The Cause Effect. As consumers shift from impulsive frenzy to second-thought hesitation, the notion of supporting a good cause may just provide a means to convert those second thoughts into buying mode. In a post-boom, post-greed retail climate, incorporating social and/or environmental responsibility into purchases could be the acceptable new version of instant gratification.

Dawn Patrol #2

Green Website for the Day

Green Website:

350.org

Started by author and environmentalist, Bill McKibben, 350.org stands for the parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 350ppm represents the number that we need to get back DOWN to in order to keep our planet a functioning planet.

If we don't, 6 irreversible tipping points will occur - one of them being a massive sea level rise.

Go the website and find out what the other 5 tipping points are.

Be Environmentally Cool
Head Local
Green Local

Green Word of the Day

DEGRADABLE

A material that undergoes chemical change and a loss of orginal chartacteristics due to envrionmental conditions. There are no requirements for time, process or toxicity for this method.

Becoming a Local

07/01/2008 18:00 Mountain Time

It is time to celebrate being an American.

A huge part of the American dream is buying a home. I did just that a few months ago and finally moved in this past weekend. The American Dream - here I come!!

I have prepared myself for what a home means. Forget the yardwork and the fixer uppers, I am talking about the major breakdowns - like my garage door.

There are positives about owning your own land - composting. I am very excited to purchase my urban composter from Recycle Utah. I also will not have to drive to Recycle Utah's recycling drop off due to Curb It Recycling. They pick up at your home for a small fee.

I will be sure to give constant updates on the American Dream and any nightmare's involved.

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Now for an important programming note:

Locals Have More Fun will be sponsoring Mountain Town Stages free Deer Valley Wednesday night concert. The Joy and Eric Band will be playing - a fantastic duo. We will hope the thunderclouds stay away and a large crowd joins us at Snow Park Lodge for the outdoor concert.

Friday, be sure to stop by for Pancake's in city park and see the Locals "green" tent. We will have new merchandise to show off - male mountain bikers and hoodies as well as a new color for females: sky

To all of the Park Silly Sunday Market attendees, both local and tourists - thank you. Thanks for spending time learning about our company and vision.

On top of moving and all of the Locals events, I have my first "summer in Maine" trip as well as my other business - Into the Markets.

Happy Trading and Stay Green
Head Local

Main Street Stores Don't Think Green Part II

06/19/2008 07:30 Mountain Time

I wrote this article about a year and a half ago and thought it would be appropriate as I took a recent stroll on Main Street and didn't see much difference. Also, being a trader in the financial markets and understanding the pain that high energy and commodity prices are causing the consumer, I thought it would be appropriate to stress the importance of "environmental comon sense".

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While walking up Main Street on a bitter winter day, I was thinking about a recent editorial regarding what park City would be like wihtout snow. This winter we have waited and waited for the snow to come and it finally has! This winter has also provided us with our first Save Our Snow initiative and countless global warming "warnings".

While I walked, I was astonished to see numberous businesses with their doors held OPEN with door stops and wire hangers, inviting shoppers. I stepped into one of these businesses and felt a blast of warm air. Are local business owners thinking green?

Other stores with their doors wide open have stickers on the windows showing off their "support" for other green initiatives. Even worse offenders are the multi-national corporations with stores on Main street that sell organic cotton shirts and "combat global warming" books.

Main Street businesses' doors are open, but their minds are shut. Keeping your door open with the heat blasting or the air conditioner running (summer time is no different) is a deplorable way to attract customers. What are the chances that the managers behind these decisions are inattentive in their own homes as well?

Is our town really that concerned with global warming or, more importantly, using common sense? Many businesses on Main Street obviously are not.

Head Local
Park City