AOA Seeks Partners for 2025 Great Outdoors Month Campaign

Grant funding freezes and and federal staffing cuts are endangering the operational capabilities to manage and steward federal public lands in Alaska. AOA has drafted a way to leverage existing Great Outdoor Months events and activities. Read draft ideas about the campaign then let us know if you're organization would like to engage.

DRAFT CONCEPT - SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION BY PARTICIPATING PARTNERS

Title: "Respect the Land, Protect the Future"

Campaign Overview: A grassroots public relations campaign designed to heighten awareness of the value and benefits of federal public lands and threats posed by cuts to funding, staffing and the threat posed by the possibility of privatization of public lands. The campaign will be launched in June during Great Outdoors Month and will leverage the social media, community-driven events, and word-of-mouth advocacy of partner organizations and individuals to demonstrate Alaskans and visitor support of keeping public lands open and accessible for all. If partners concur, results of the campaign will be aggregated and shared with the Congressional Delegation and adaptable for participating partners to share with their elected leaders.

Objectives:

1. Educate Alaskans and visitors about the benefits of public lands, including environmental, recreational, cultural, and economic values.

2. Expose the risks of staff and funding cuts and how they, or privatization, could limit public access, degrade ecosystems, and threaten Indigenous rights.

3. Engage the public in accessible, low-cost participatory activities to demonstrate support for keeping public lands open.

4. Amplify voices of those impacted, including Indigenous communities, outdoor recreation groups, conservationists, and local businesses.

5. Mobilize action through free and community-supported initiatives such as social media campaigns, letter-writing drives, and small-scale gatherings.

Key Messages:

• "Our Lands, Our Future" – Public lands belong to everyone for future generations, not just corporate interests.

• "Protect, Preserve, Participate" – The public has a right and responsibility to protect lands for future generations.

• "Alaska’s Strength" – Indigenous and local communities depend on these lands for cultural traditions and economic sustainability.

• "The Outdoors is for Everyone" – Public lands provide recreational opportunities, mental health benefits, sustenance, and natural beauty for all.

Tactics and Activities Menu of Possibilities:

No need to reinvent wheels. Let’s just be more strategic about telling the story of the events your organization already plans to host during Great Outdoors Month, June 2025. No events planned? No problem, here’s a menu of easy, accessible tools and a structured approach, Alaska Outdoor Alliance and its partners can use to efficiently collect, package, and deliver a compelling advocacy case to policymakers, reinforcing the grassroots demand to protect Alaska’s public lands. Your organization can pick and choose which of these tactics to use and share. Your better ideas welcome!

1. Social Media & Word-of-Mouth Advocacy

   • Launch a grassroots social media campaign (#RespectTheLand, #Alaska4All, #Alaska4Generations) with user-generated content from Alaskans sharing their connection to public lands.

   • Encourage participants to use existing personal networks to spread awareness.

   • Host live-stream discussions with indigenous leaders, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts to discuss the risks of privatization.

2. Community Gatherings & Participation

   • DIY Public Lands Hikes & Meetups – Organize informal hikes, nature walks, and community campfire discussions. Document in photos and videos.

   • Low-Budget Awareness Rallies – Leverage existing planned community events 

   • Citizen Science & Clean-Up Initiatives – Document volunteer numbers and hours during volunteer trail and conservation projects.

3. Legislative Advocacy & Public Mobilization

   • Low-Cost Digital Advocacy – Develop messaging for your organization’s stakeholders to send via emails or phone calls to legislators 

   • Community-Led Petition Drive – If you want to develop a petition for your stakeholders to join, consider using free online platforms like Change.org instead of printed petitions.

   • Informal Town Hall Discussions – Organize small group meetups, reallies or discussions in libraries, cafes, community centers or popular trailheads.

4. Earned Media & Alternative Outreach

   • Provide local media with op-eds and interviews.

   • Encourage volunteers to write letters to the editor in local newspapers and blogs.

   • Leverage free media opportunities such as radio interviews and community bulletin boards.

Prospective Partners & Grassroots Supporters:

• Alaska Outdoor Enthusiast Networks 

• Tribal & Indigenous Groups 

• Chambers of Commerce, Local Governments, Tourism Boards 

• Outdoor Trade: Manufacturers, Retailers, Guides, Outfitters, Lodges, etc.

• Local & National Conservation Organizations

Suggested Low-Cost & In-Kind Support Strategies:

Since most organizations are stretched thin fighting multiple policy battles, this campaign can rely on community-driven, cost-free, and volunteer-led strategies such as these:

• Venue & Space Donations – Use free public spaces such as parks, libraries, and community centers for discussions and events.

• Social Media & Word-of-Mouth – Utilize existing personal and organizational platforms for maximum digital reach.

• Volunteer Workforce – Encourage board, general members and other key stakeholders to take leadership roles in organizing small events in their own neighborhoods and friends groups.

• DIY Advocacy Materials – Create downloadable flyers and digital toolkits for participants to print at home and/or share online.

• Local Business Engagement – Encourage local businesses to display your event posters and through any other ways they communicate with customers.

Campaign Success Metrics (maybe sounds lofty but do-able with enough partners)

• Social Media Engagement: 10,000+ hashtag mentions, strong organic reach through community sharing.

• Community Participation: 100+ local DIY hikes, clean-ups, or discussion meetups organized by volunteers.

• Petitions & Letters: 25,000+ digital signatures and direct communications with legislators.

• Media Coverage: Increased public awareness through op-eds, letters to editors, and local radio discussions. Be sure to clip the article, save the link and share.

• Policy Impact: Strengthened grassroots pressure.

Proposal on How We Can Aggregate & Share Results Tell Our Story:

To effectively package and share campaign results with elected officials, Alaska Outdoor Alliance and campaign partners can utilize the following streamlined process:

1. Centralized Data Collection Hub –

   • AOA will set up a shared Google Drive to collect social media screenshots, event reports, photos, videos and any other documentation.

   • AOA will set up an easy-to-use Google Form for you to submit reports on your volunteers activities (hikes, trail projects, meetings, calls & letters to legislators, etc.).

2. Social Media Metrics Tracking –

   • Use free social media analytics tools (e.g., Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics) to track engagement on campaign hashtags.

   • AOA will compile and aggregate your engagement reports.

3. Testimonial & Quote Submission –

   • Encourage your members and stakeholders to submit personal stories via email or a simple online form. (Google Forms is easy and free).

   • Schedule a time(s) to collect video testimonials via Zoom (or similar online service) from your community and/or members explaining why public lands matter to them.

4. Final Report –

   • You produce a simple report with a short narrative any cool visual data representations like charts, infographics, that help quickly tell the story of your campaign success.

   • AOA will create a simple, visually appealing PDF report summarizing all participating organization key data and cumulative impact.

5. Legislator Engagement & Delivery –

   • AOA will compile the final package into a digital, printable format for you to use.

   • AOA will organize a virtual briefing session with you for legislators and their staff to present findings. And/or you can organize your own briefings.

   • With partner consent, AOA will deliver the report through coordinated emails, in-person meetings, and media outreach to ensure maximum visibility.

Conclusion: The "Respect the Land, Protect the Future" campaign will focus on grassroots mobilization rather than resource-heavy activities. By leveraging already activities already planned for Great Outdoors Month 2025, community networks, social media, and low-cost advocacy, we can create an effective campaign to protect and preserve public lands. 

Call to Action: Take Initiative. Spread the Word. Protect the Future.

THIS IS A DRAFT CONCEPT. YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND PARTICIPATION ARE WELCOME.

CONTACT LEE HART - DIRECTOR@ALASKAOUTDOORALLIANCE.ORG