Adam Cramer is the CEO of the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition that brings together human-powered outdoor recreation groups to protect public lands and waters. With a deep understanding of both policy and recreation, Adam has helped position the Outdoor Alliance as a powerful voice in the national conservation movement—bridging the gap between grassroots outdoor communities and high-level decision-making in Washington, DC.
Before launching into public lands advocacy, Adam spent years working as an attorney in DC. But outside the office, his life was centered on outdoor adventure—he started as a skateboarder, then became a climber, and eventually a whitewater kayaker. A chance encounter in a river parking area led to his first pro bono conservation case, and that spark ultimately evolved into his full-time vocation. Adam’s story is a testament to the idea that if you care deeply about a place, there’s a way to use your unique skills to help protect it.
In this conversation, we talked about the origins of the Outdoor Alliance, Adam’s evolution from attorney to coalition-builder, and why generosity—not dominance—is his guiding principle for leadership. We discussed why civic engagement matters more than ever, how outdoor recreation can build bipartisan bridges, and why showing up—even when it feels small—can make a real difference.
It’s worth noting that we recorded this conversation in early June 2025, just as a wave of new legislation and political turbulence was rolling across the public lands landscape. Since then, things have continued to change rapidly. If you care about the future of outdoor recreation and conservation in this country, I highly recommend signing up for the Outdoor Alliance’s newsletter or following them on social media to stay informed and involved.
Again, a big thanks to the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation for introducing me to Adam and another big thanks to Patagonia Denver for generously letting us use their community room to record this conversation. Enjoy!
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Photos courtesy of Adam Cramer and the Outdoor Alliance
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EPISODE PARTNER:
This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation.
To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today.
Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society.
To learn more about Mighty Arrow’s forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org.
RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 3:05 – Intro (with a jiu jitsu connection)
- 6:45 – Law school, then what?
- 8:01 – The individuality of skateboarding
- 10:38 – Billdering
- 11:45 – Beginning of kayaking and the end of a relationship
- 13:40 – A type of code switching
- 16:26 – Giving back to the places
- 23:03 – How Outdoor Alliance came together
- 27:51 – Sticking points
- 30:46 – Attorney mindset to strategy point-person
- 33:13 – Leadership inspiration
- 37:24 – A generous mindset
- 42:49 – Who’s pro selling off public lands?
- 45:21 – Guidepost goals
- 49:04 – The reason Adam got on the plane to Colorado, where he’s talking with Ed
- 48:14 – Why you should engage with your elected officials
- 58:30 – Evidence the world doesn’t totally suck
- 59:43 – Optimistic?
- 1:03:40 – How to get involved
- 1:05:06 – Book recs
Information Referenced:
- Adam Cramer
- Outdoor Alliance
- Outdoor Alliance – TAKE ACTION
- Sign up for Outdoor Alliance Action Alerts
- The latest from the Outdoor Alliance (as of 6.16.25)
- Outdoor Alliance on Instagram
- American Whitewater, a law firm that started the path of Adam’s giving back to a place.
- Upper Yough, what Adam decided to fight for. Background from American Whitewater.
- William Guerry, Adam’s former boss, who encouraged his early conservation advocacy.
- FLIPMA, federal law that, in essence, says the federal estate should remain intact.
- Advocacy Days exist for many different organizations. Here’s info on one for the Land Trust Alliance.
- Public Lands in Public Hands Act
- Book recs: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin; Ezra Klein’s Abundance
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Kristine Tompkins – Nothing to Lose
- Sonnie Trotter – On Flow, Family, and the Long Game
- Aaron Citron: Crafting Conservation Policy in a Changing West
- Hal Herring Returns – Live at the Old Salt Festival
- Pete McBride Returns – Exploring & Documenting His Backyard River
- Sandy Colhoun – Building Leaders Through Outdoor Education
- Elliot Ross: Where Landscape, Justice, and Storytelling Meet
Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.
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