Hatch Team Travels to Washington D.C. as Advocates for Outdoor Recreation 

You probably know Hatch River Expeditions for our awesome river trips, but did you know that the Hatch team also actively advocates for the whole outdoor recreation industry? 

In the last week of February, Hatch sent three members of our team—Steve Hatch, Eva Hatch, and Jessica Clark—to Washington D.C. to speak to our nation’s congressmen, senators and other government officials about issues that impact outdoor recreation throughout the country. 

The Hatch team was one small part of a larger advocacy effort made by America Outdoors, an organization comprised of outfitters that provide outdoor adventure experiences all over the U.S.—from river rafting to guided hiking to ziplining to horseback riding. Our three Hatch members joined a team of 30 advocates representing 14 different states. Collectively, we attended 40 different meetings and communicated with the nation’s representatives about the outdoor industry’s top priorities and what actions can be taken to support them. 

America Outdoors has been advocating for our industry since 1989 with annual trips to Washington D.C. as an important element of their advocacy. For much of that time, Hatch has been a part of the effort as well with Steve Hatch participating as a representative of both Hatch River Expeditions and the President of the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association—an organization that represents the 16 companies contracted to operate river trips in Grand Canyon National Park. 

Eva Hatch got on board when she was only 12 or 13 years old and has been an active participant in the industry’s advocacy efforts most years since then. This year, the Hatch team added Jessica Clark from the Hatch office as a 3rd member of their contingent. 

In between meetings, the team took advantage of their time in Washington D.C., visiting the city’s monuments and museums including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Gallery of Art.