Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Columbia is speaking out on the national park shutdown.
- Columbia Sportswear ran a full-page ad in The Washington Post on Friday, calling for an end to the government shutdown and to "Make America's Parks Open Again."
- "Walls shouldn't block access to parks, and federal workers shouldn't be left out in the cold," Columbia CEO Tim Boyle is quoted in the ad. "Work together to open the parks."
- National parks have been plagued by garbage and feces overflow in recent weeks, absent of workers to clean toilets or pick up trash.
Columbia Sportswear wants President Donald Trump to "Make America's Parks Open Again."
On Friday, the outdoors clothing and gear company ran an ad in The Washington Post calling for an end to the government shutdown and not-so-subtly slamming Trump's immigration policies.
"Walls shouldn't block access to parks, and federal workers shouldn't be left out in the cold," reads a quote from Columbia CEO Tim Boyle. "Work together to open the parks."
Columbia spent $80,000 for the full-page ad, reports The Oregonian. It says in large letters: "Make America's Parks Open Again."
Here is what the ad looks like:
Columbia did not respond to Business Insider's request for further comment on the ad.
National parks in the American West have been plagued by garbage and feces overflow in recent weeks, absent of workers to clean toilets or pick up trash.
Park rangers and other federal employees working in parks have been furloughed for three weeks as the government shutdown stretches into day 21. However, despite the lack of federal employees to maintain the parks, the Trump administration has opted to keep the gates open to the public during the shutdown.
"The filth is unprecedented, even for a shutdown, when it's common for the government to suspend all operations at national parks - including visitor access," reports Insider's Aria Bendix.
Boyle has spoken out against Trump's policies before.
"I think it's just a travesty what's happening," Boyle said of Trump's immigration policies in June 2018. "I think it's just to the detriment of the country."
Columbia isn't the only outdoors brand to get political in recent years. Patagonia and REI slammed Trump after a December 2017 announcement that two national monuments were set to be drastically reduced in size.
"Clearly, the outdoors is a huge part of our business," Boyle told The Oregonian.
"Parks in the U.S. are where people use our products. Parks are being damaged by people doing things they probably wouldn't do if management were in place"
