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Field hearing: Tariffs and trade uncertainty put Colorado outdoor small businesses under strain
Summary
Senator John Hickenlooper convened a field hearing of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship at History Colorado to hear how trade and tariff policy is affecting small businesses in the outdoor recreation industry.
Senator John Hickenlooper convened a field hearing of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship at History Colorado to hear how trade and tariff policy is affecting small businesses in the outdoor recreation industry. Witnesses Travis Campbell (owner and CEO, Eagle Creek), Mike Mohika (founder, Outdoor Element) and Trent Bush (co‑CEO, Artalex Studios) described immediate financial shocks, paused hiring and the risk of lost international customers.
The hearing matters because the outdoor recreation sector has a large economic footprint and complex supply chains: witnesses cited a U.S. industry value of about $1.2 trillion and roughly 5,000,000 jobs, and Senator Hickenlooper said Colorado’s outdoor recreation contribution to state GDP is about $17,000,000,000. Witnesses told the committee that sudden tariff changes and the resulting uncertainty make planning impossible for companies that rely on multi‑year production cycles.
Travis Camp…
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