Why It Matters

The Outdoor Industry Association shut down its in-house lobbying operation in the second quarter of 2026, according to a termination filing signed in early August.

The organization had been conducting lobbying activities in-house since 2017, when it transitioned from relying on external firms. The termination took effect June 16, ending a lobbying effort that had generated $173,000 in total disclosed activity across its filings.

Outdoor Industry Association lobbied on Trade (Domestic & Foreign), Tariff Bills, and Natural Resources issues.

The termination represents a pullback from that engagement. Rich Harper Jr. served as vice president, government affairs for Outdoor Industry Association and was active as a lobbyist throughout the 2017-2026 period. Patricia Rojas-Ungár, who held the vice president title and had prior experience working with former Rep. Ken Bentsen and former Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, was active from 2019 through 2020, as was Christina Perez during the same period.

Broader Context

The organization advocated for the USMCA agreement, which was signed into law on January 29, 2020, and entered into force on July 1, 2020. It also pushed for changes to tariff policy and sought to add footwear to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, though footwear has historically been excluded from that program as an import-sensitive product. The GSP program itself lapsed after December 31, 2020, and has not been renewed as of the available data.

The organization supported the Import Tax Relief Act, which would have required the establishment of a formal exclusion process for goods subject to China 301 tariffs. That legislation, introduced as H.R. 1452 and S. 577, never passed either chamber of Congress. The organization also opposed additional tariffs placed on outdoor products as a result of the China 301 investigation.

On the public lands front, the Outdoor Industry Association advocated in support of S. 47, the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which passed the Senate 92-8 and the House 363-62 before President Trump signed it into law on March 12, 2019. The organization backed the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was permanently funded at $900 million per year through the Great American Outdoors Act.

The association also supported S. 500, the Restore Our Parks Act, and HR 1225, the Restore Our Parks and Lands Act, though neither advanced beyond committee referral. It advocated for permit reform on public lands and supported draft Recreation Not Red-Tape Act legislation, as well as the miscellaneous tariff bill process.

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