REI offered a mea culpa for backing Doug Burgum, the former North Dakota governor who President Donald Trump picked for interior secretary.
The Issaquah-based co-op signed onto a letter in January from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a coalition of outdoor-focused companies and agencies, that endorsed Burgum. The letter championed his “support for outdoor recreation, the outdoor recreation economy, and the protection of public lands and waters.”
REI wasn’t the only company signed onto the letter. It found itself in a list with recreational vehicle makers, boat manufacturers and other retailers. But not all of the roundtable’s members were listed. Amazon-backed electric vehicle maker Rivian didn’t sign on. Neither did several public agencies and universities.
Burgum took office on Feb. 1 and subsequently became a controversial figure among environmental groups. Since then he’s called for extracting natural resources from pristine land in Alaska, building housing on federal lands and restoring the coal industry.
“Let me be clear, signing that letter was a mistake,” said REI CEO Mary Beth Laughton in a video posted on Instagram Wednesday. “The actions that the administration has taken on public lands are completely at odds with the long-standing values of REI.”
Laughton became REI’s CEO on March 31, more than two months after the endorsement. She pointed that out during the statement.
“I’m here to apologize on behalf of REI, to retract our endorsement of Doug Burgum, and to take full accountability for how we move forward,” she said.
The motive for signing on to the letter was to have a seat at the table to continue outdoor recreation advocacy, according to Laughton. REI declined to provide further comment.
REI members and the union representing employees across multiple stores criticized the move earlier this year. For the REI Union it’s become another sticking point between employees and REI leaders on top of what they view as an increased corporatization at the co-op.
Despite the compounding complaints from the union — alleged union busting, dismissing union-endorsed board candidates, dragging out contract negotiations — members were “shocked to see REI endorse someone who has close ties to the oil and gas industry,” said Sean Embly, director of organizing for major Washington union UFCW 3000.
“I think they may be trying to make amends broadly, but retracting the endorsement doesn’t do much good because the damage is already done,” Embly said.
In addition to pulling back the endorsement, REI announced it’s launching an effort with The Conservation Alliance and other partners called Brands for Public Lands. The coalition has two immediate demands, Laughton said.
It’s calling for the Department of the Interior to be transparent and to consult the public on major decisions that affect public demands. It also wants Congress to prevent the large-scale sell-off of public lands.
“This is just the beginning and represents a recommitment to REI’s longstanding practice of endorsing policies, not people,” Laughton said.
