SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., May 21, 2020—The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is working with a national coalition of nonprofits, outdoor businesses, and land managers to launch the Recreate Responsibly campaign. The program presents guidelines and best practices for enjoying the outdoors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With stay-at-home restrictions easing and more people showing an interest in outdoor recreation, OIA is promoting the program as the traditionally busy Memorial Day weekend approaches.

“During this public health crisis, spending time in outdoor spaces has become so important for many, and we anticipate this trend will continue,” said OIA executive director Lise Aangeenbrug. “People are drawn to the outdoors for fresh air, stress relief and the freedom it provides. This is positive news for outdoor businesses and for the health and well-being of Americans. As our public lands and waters reopen, our special places could get overwhelmed, and people could be at risk.”

The Recreate Responsibly program has six guidelines that “offer a starting point for getting outside to keep yourself healthy and to maintain access to our parks, trails, and beaches,” the website states.

The six guidelines are: Know before you go, plan ahead, practice physical distancing, play it safe, stay close to home, and leave no trace. Each guideline includes a simple explanation. OIA is asking the public to use #RecreateResponsibly to help spread the word.

Details can be found at https://www.recreateresponsibly.org/