Higher Ground: How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World

Higher Ground invites readers to explore the outdoor industry from the point of view of a renowned mountain guide who put his first-hand experience to work as a politician and advocate. The Outdoor Recreation industry is becoming a recognized economic force in the United States, now valued at $1.1 trillion annually (bigger than the automotive and pharmaceutical industries combined). From a family-owned ski resort in New Hampshire to Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful Inn, from fishing guides plying the Florida Keys to gear companies headquartered across the West Coast, the outdoor recreation sector employs more than 5 million people and directly touches countless lives across the country each year.

Through Higher Ground, readers will be taken on a personal journey of struggle and redemption, will understand the history and current impact of the outdoor industry, and will gain insights on the political action needed to ensure that our natural resources are recognized as critical infrastructure for the United States. Higher Ground shows us that this bipartisan economic powerhouse is poised to save the world.