Many well-known entities in packrafting call the Southwest home, even though their packrafts havetaken them around the world and back. Numerous packraft equipment companies call this region home, including Alpacka Raft in Mancos, CO (Sheri Tingey was an early recipient of APA’s Golden Paddle award in 2013), Kokopelli in Longmont, CO, Supai Adventure Gear in Chandler, AZ and Micro Rafting Systems in Glenwood, NM and CD Outdoors in Camp Verde, AZ.

Another Golden Paddle recipient, Todd Seliga is a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service in Grand Canyon, AZ. Todd has been a great advocate for packrafts as a rangering tool and incorporating this knowledge and enthusiasm into park planning. Jeffrey Creamer, a self-taught packrafter with a prolific video presence on YouTube, shares his epic paddling runs with the world, but uses Colorado as his home base. And then there is Zano, the regionally famous Class IV Australian “Paddle Dog”, who resides at the GAILS Ranch HQ in Glenwood, NM.

Conservation issues in the Southwest are as diverse as the terrain and ecosystems found within the region. For example, the Gila Wilderness (in the heart of the Southwest Region) and the nearby BlueRange Primitive Area, were the first two designated and managed Wilderness areas in the world! As such, their legacy offers some of the most Pre-Columbian and diverse habitats in the Lower 48. Thelifeblood of these systems are its rivers and creeks, including its namesake river.

While the Gila has survived repeated attempts at damming its watercourse in New Mexico, the threat remains. APA and AW continue to partner with leading conservation groups to oppose these threats to intact ecosystems, wildlife, and the unparalleled opportunities for wilderness recreation and solitude that the Gila region offers.

As water resources become more scarce and polluted within the Southwest, paddling opportunitiescontinue to be diminished and degraded. For these reasons, it is crucial that the packrafting community continues to be engaged and mindful around water issues and resource management.