By Dave Hurwitz
SAWS
I felt you all would want to know about a new partnership announced between Frontier Airlines (FA) and The Wilderness Society (TWS). As my letter to FA states below, please be sure to add FA to your personal and business "DO NOT FLY" lists.
Snowmobile Alliance of Western States
P.O. Box 668
Cle Elum, WA 98922
April 12, 2011
Lindsey Purves, 720-374-4560
Frontier Airlines Contact
media@flyfrontier.com
Lindsey Purves,
I can't believe what I just read in your company's press release below. Either a very bad business decision by individuals at Frontier Airlines, possibly based on not understanding all of the facts about what a wilderness designation really means, and the fact that many forms of recreation are not even allowed in designated wilderness areas, or just a plain dumb decision.
My name is Dave Hurwitz and I am the Chairman of the Snowmobile Alliance of Western States (SAWS). SAWS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was formed in the summer of 2004. Our mission is to provide education regarding public lands policy and outdoor recreation ethics in order to preserve and protect access to traditional trails and terrain on public lands, so that future generations will be able to enjoy nature through snowmobiling as generations have done in the past. SAWS currently has over 4000 individual members, not including the thousands more affiliate members of state snowmobile associations and snowmobile clubs that are also members of SAWS, from across mainly the western United States.
Extreme groups such as The Wilderness Society (TWS) have been attempting to close out recreational lands to all forms of mechanical transport for many, many years. Although our organization is most concerned with snowmobile access, do you realize the mountain bikes (pedal version), fishing boats with electric or gas motors, automobiles, motor homes, jet skis, motor bikes, ATVs and off road vehicles are all banned from designated wilderness areas? We already have 109.5 million acres of designated wilderness in the United States, yet organizations like TWS keep pushing for more and more every year. How much is enough? If you look at the number of people across the United States that participate in one or more of these popular forms of recreation that are banned in wilderness areas, that is certainly a lot of folks to alienate from wanting to book flights on Frontier Airlines.
"Frontier will support The Wilderness Society through financial contributions."
Since Frontier Airlines plans to provide financial help to TWS, I will be sure to contact all of our members and request that they put Frontier Airlines on their personal and business "DO NOT FLY" lists.
Sincerely,
Dave Hurwitz
Chairman, Snowmobile Alliance of Western States
DaveH@Snowmobile-Alliance.org
Press release follows
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110412006663/en/Frontier-Airlines-Partners-Wilderness-Society
April 12, 2011 12:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Frontier Airlines Partners With The Wilderness Society
Commits to protect wilderness and connect people with wild places
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In further support of the communities in which it flies, Frontier Airlines is pleased to announce a partnership with The Wilderness Society, a leading public-lands conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. Frontier Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RJET), will serve as the official airline of The Wilderness Society and support its ongoing efforts to protect America's great places.
"Frontier is more than an airline with animals on its tails, we are a Company with an intense passion for the communities we serve and a real responsibility to help protect the incredible wilderness habitats our guests travel to each and every day and in which our `spokesanimals' call home"
Frontier's partnership with The Wilderness Society will support wilderness and wildlife protection in communities across the United States, including areas within the White River National Forest region of Colorado, the San Gabriel Mountains in California, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, among others.
"Frontier is more than an airline with animals on its tails, we are a Company with an intense passion for the communities we serve and a real responsibility to help protect the incredible wilderness habitats our guests travel to each and every day and in which our `spokesanimals' call home," said Bryan Bedford, chairman, president and CEO of Frontier Airlines. "We are so pleased to work together with The Wilderness Society in their effort to protect the nation's wilderness and inspire people to connect with these great places."
"The partnership between Frontier Airlines and The Wilderness Society enables people to experience first-hand nature's treasures," said William H. Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society. "Together we can protect the places we love by connecting people to iconic American landscapes that sustain Frontier's `spokesanimals'."
Frontier Airlines and The Wilderness Society will be celebrating America's wilderness through the my wilderness campaign. An interactive campaign launching on April 18, my wilderness asks individuals to share their favorite stories of experiences in their own wilderness - from hiking in a national park, fishing on a favorite river, camping with friends or simply throwing a ball with their daughter in a neighborhood park. With my wilderness, people can participate in contests to visit wild locales, watch videos featuring wild places of the month, get outdoors tips and learn more about the places they love.
Frontier will support The Wilderness Society through financial contributions, creative fundraising efforts and employee volunteerism. For more information, please visit FrontierAirlines.com and wilderness.org.