Patagonia Attending IFTD as Conservation Partner

The folks over at Patagonia are taking an interesting – and new –  approach to how they’re attending the International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) show in Salt Lake City this week.

Patagonia is attending the show as a conservation partner – not to transact business. They want to show support for their nonprofit partners and their activist community.

You can read the full press release on Patagonia’s stance below.

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For nearly 40 years, Patagonia has been building durable, river-tested fly fishing gear. We make this equipment because we love fly fishing. We engineer it to be recyclable and repairable so it never needs to see the inside of a landfill because we believe that if you love something you protect it. 

 

As our industry gathers for IFTD 2022, it’s never been more important to underscore our belief that fly fishing is about more than rods and reels, waders and boots. We’re showing up at IFTD in a non-transactional way to support our nonprofit partners and our activist community—we’re not selling product, we’re using our platform to reiterate our core values: wild fish and clean water. 

 

We’re in Salt Lake to support friends like the Utah Stream Access Coalition (USAC) as they work to ensure our rights to fish, explore, monitor and protect our watersheds. 

 

Over the last five years, Patagonia has granted more than $6 million to conservation groups committed to protecting wild fish and clean water, with $1.265 million granted in 2021 alone. These organizations work to reconnect rivers and fight the disease, pollution and escapement of net-pen salmon farming. They underwrite the repair and protection of our wild spaces. They fund science-led, pro-fish policy and assist the shops, guides and activists in protecting our jobs, recreation and critical habitats. In addition, we’re proud to support the organizations that build our community by striving toward equity, justice and inclusion, as well as the artists, writers, photographers and filmmakers who elevate our spirits.

 

“We’ll use any opportunity to advocate for wild fish and clean water,” said Matt Millette, Patagonia Fly Fishing’s head of marketing. “We’re fortunate to be able to support these causes, and we feel obligated to show up for wild fish and clean water in every way we can. IFTD in Salt Lake allows us to help USAC elevate their message of stream access, which is a plus for the whole community.”

 

To explore how you can advocate for wild fish and clean water, please visit Patagonia Action Works, where you’ll find a local organization near you doing the work for our water and our fish. They’d love your help.”