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This is the second article of two that address what I can discover about positions of the major party candidates that relate to outdoor recreation. \u00a0In this article, I’ll discuss \u00a0Hillary Clinton’s positions and the positions of the Democratic party.<\/p>\n
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While Mr. Trump addresses seven topics and offers his positions on them. \u00a0Ms Clinton addresses 37 topics with her positions. \u00a0Plus, she incorporates additional position papers and speeches on a variety of topics. \u00a0The main topics are fairly general and none are specifically about outdoor recreation.<\/p>\n
Access to the Outdoors<\/strong><\/p>\n In a \u00a0briefing paper associated with the topic of climate change\u00a0 Clinton says she wants to: “Renew our shared commitment to the conservation of our disappearing lands, waters, and wildlife, to the preservation of our history and culture, and to expanding access to the outdoors for all Americans.”<\/p>\n Gun Control<\/strong><\/p>\n While Mr. Trump and the Republican party have made strong statements in opposition to gun control of any kind, \u00a0Ms Clinton suggests that the nation:<\/p>\n She also says: “I believe weapons of war have no place on our streets. We may have our disagreements on gun safety regulations, but we should all be able to agree on a few things. If the FBI is watching you for suspected terrorist links, you shouldn\u2019t be able to just go buy a gun with no questions asked. You shouldn\u2019t be able to exploit loopholes and evade criminal background checks by buying online or at a gun show. And yes, if you\u2019re too dangerous to get on a plane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in America.”<\/p>\n Clearly these positions will be unacceptable to those that want to be armed enough to prevent the U.S. military or National Guard from turning on U.S. citizens, however they will have little\u00a0effect on hunters except in cases where a hunter isn’t able to pass a background check. \u00a0As far as outdoor recreation, neither Mr. Trump’s or Ms Clinton’s positions on guns will have much effect.<\/p>\n Outdoor Industry<\/strong><\/p>\n Public Lands<\/strong><\/p>\n In her policy on protecting animals and wildlife she states that she will: “Protect wildlife in the United States by keeping public lands public\u2014not auctioning them off to the highest bidder\u2014and making more resources available to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who are taking steps to conserve our wildlife, lands, and waters.” \u00a0This is completely opposite of the policies suggested by Mr. Trump and the Republican party. \u00a0Regardless of the reason for keeping public lands public, they would remain available for outdoor recreation.<\/p>\n Rural\u00a0Communities<\/strong><\/p>\n Conservation and Collaborative Stewardship of America\u2019s Great Outdoors<\/strong><\/p>\n Digging deeper into the campaign website, \u00a0I found a factsheet: Hillary Clinton’s Plan for\u00a0Conservation and Collaborative Stewardship of America\u2019s Great Outdoors. \u00a0According to the factsheet, she will:<\/p>\n With the exception of promoting renewable energy siting on public lands, \u00a0that could adversely affect outdoor recreation in some places, these policies generally\u00a0support outdoor recreation.<\/p>\n Public Lands<\/strong><\/p>\n The party platform echoes many of Ms Clinton’s positions related to public lands stating:<\/p>\n “Democrats believe in the conservation and collaborative stewardship of our shared natural heritage: the public lands and waterways, the oceans, Everglades, Great Lakes, the Arctic, and all that makes America\u2019s great outdoors priceless. As a nation, we need policies and investments that will keep America\u2019s public lands public, strengthen protections for our natural and cultural resources, increase access to parks and public lands for all Americans, protect native species and wildlife, and harness the immense economic and social potential of our public lands and waters.<\/p>\n “Democrats will work to establish an American Parks Trust Fund to help expand local, state, and national recreational opportunities, rehabilitate existing parks, and enhance America’s great outdoors\u2014from our forests and coasts to neighborhood parks\u2014so \u201cAmerica\u2019s Best Idea\u201d is held in trust for future generations, and all Americans can access and enjoy natural spaces. Democrats are committed to doubling the size of the outdoor economy, creating nearly hundreds of billions of dollars in new economic activity and millions of new jobs.<\/p>\n “Democrats will approach conservation of our public lands and waters in a way that reflects the diversity of our country, by actively engaging all Americans in the great outdoors and protecting natural landscapes and cultural sites that tell the story of America’s complex history. To help meet these goals, we will work to build a diverse workforce in agencies that manage America’s public lands, waters, and cultural sites.<\/p>\n “We oppose drilling in the Arctic and off the Atlantic coast, and believe we need to reform fossil fuel leasing on public lands. We will phase down extraction of fossil fuels from our public lands, 30 starting with the most polluting sources, while making our public lands and waters engines of the clean energy economy and creating jobs across the country. Democrats will work to expand the amount of renewable energy production on federal lands and waters, from wind in Wyoming to solar in Nevada.<\/p>\n “Democrats oppose efforts to undermine the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act to protect threatened and endangered species.”<\/p>\n Gun Control<\/strong><\/p>\n In\u00a0regard to guns, \u00a0the platform says:<\/p>\n “While responsible gun ownership is part of the fabric of many communities, too many families in America have suffered from gun violence. We can respect the rights of responsible gun owners while keeping our communities safe. To build on the success of the lifesaving Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, we will expand and strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes in our current laws; repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to revoke the dangerous legal immunity protections gun makers and sellers now enjoy; and keep weapons of war\u2014such as assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines (LCAM’s)\u2014off our streets. We will fight back against attempts to make it harder for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to revoke federal licenses from law breaking gun dealers, and ensure guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists, intimate partner abusers, other violent criminals, and those with severe mental health issues. There is insufficient research on effective gun prevention policies, which is why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must have the resources it needs to study gun violence as a public health issue.”<\/p>\n Public Lands<\/strong><\/p>\n Both the Republican and Democratic parties have established positions on public lands. \u00a0The Republican party supports allowing the states to manage the National Forests and suggests privatizing some, undefined, public lands. \u00a0The Democratic party wants to keep public lands public.<\/p>\n Gun Control<\/strong><\/p>\n The Republican Party is opposed to gun control. \u00a0The Democratic party wants to close loopholes in background checks and limit the ability of dangerous people to get guns. \u00a0Neither of these policies should have much effect upon recreational hunting.<\/p>\n Outdoor Recreation Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n Neither party\u00a0or Mr. Trump\u00a0seem aware of outdoor recreation as a\u00a0major sector in the nation’s economy. \u00a0Ms Clinton, however seems fully aware and supportive of the outdoor recreation economy.<\/p>\n Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n Overall, \u00a0but with an exception or two, \u00a0the\u00a0Democraty party and Ms Clinton’s\u00a0policies seem to me to generally supportive of outdoor recreation.The Republican Party’s positions\u00a0seem to me to be generally hostile to outdoor recreation.<\/p>\n The Bottom Line<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to outdoor recreation, the difference between the two parties and the two candidates are stark. \u00a0Regardless of where you stand and the weight you want to give to outdoor recreation, choosing the candidate you want to support on this topic should be simple.<\/p>\n If you haven’t seen it yet, please check out our article on the positions of Mr. Trump and the Republican party.<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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Ms Clinton doesn’t address the outdoor industry specifically in her major positions, but she does address manufacturing.In the outdoor industry that includes all the gear you use when you recreate outdoors. \u00a0She wants to make “a $10 billion investment in ‘Make it in America’ partnerships that bring together workers and labor, business, universities, community colleges, and government at every level to harness the strength of manufacturing communities across America.” \u00a0She also wants tighter enforcement of trade rules that lead to unfair international competition with manufacturers in the U.S. \u00a0and a $12\/hour minimum wage [Note: the party platform seeks a $15\/hour minimum wage.] \u00a0It’s not clear how the combination of proposals would help the outdoor industry overall, but she does want to see U.S. manufacturing grow.<\/p>\n![\"Park](\"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ParkBench.jpg\")
In a speech associated with Rural Communities, Ms Clinton addresses some issues, mostly related to farming. \u00a0She does not discuss outdoor recreation and the relationship of rural communities to that major part of the nation’s economy. \u00a0Nonetheless, some of her concerns, like access to capital, could lead to a more vibrant rural manufacturing and outdoor recreation services sector of the economy. \u00a0Her positions on small business including access to capital, access to markets and general support and training would also benefit rural communities and rural firms that support outdoor recreation.<\/p>\n\n
Democratic Party Platform<\/h1>\n
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The Democratic Party Platform was approved by the Platform Committee on July 9, 2016 and finalized on July 21.<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h1>\n