The outdoor retail giant REI apologized to its members for its past endorsement of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
REI in January joined a coalition of outdoor recreation advocates in signing a letter to senators in support of Burgum’s nomination to lead the department with authority over the nation’s public lands. That letter cited Burgum’s “history of support for outdoor recreation, the outdoor recreation economy, and the protection of public lands and waters.”
The company retracted its endorsement this week, its President and CEO Mary Beth Laughton said on social media, citing the Trump administration’s initial policies on public lands.
“Many of you shared your disappointment and your frustration with that decision, and I hear you,” Laughton, whose first official day on the job was March 31, told members in a video.
