As regulatory and tax pressures continue to shape the operating landscape for private campgrounds, RV parks, and glamping resorts, advocacy remains the industry’s most effective defense.
At the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo (OHCE) 2025 session titled “Lunch, Lemonade & Legislative Progress: Advocacy in Action for Outdoor Hospitality,” leaders from the Outdoor Hospitality Industry (OHI) and state associations shared significant policy victories while calling on operators to stay active in both state and federal legislative efforts.
The session featured OHI President and CEO Paul Bambei; Chief Strategy Officer David Basler; Government Affairs Strategist and Lobbyist Andrew Mills; The Resort at Erie Landing General Manager Jen Molesworth; Hidden Acres Family Campground Owner Ashley Cary; and Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners (WACO) Executive Director Lori Severson.
Together, they highlighted recent legislative progress and outlined how local participation can strengthen the industry’s collective voice.
Tax and Estate Policy Wins
An industry leader noted that many park owners continue to benefit from the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, which allows a 20 percent reduction on qualified income. The speaker encouraged operators to confirm eligibility with their tax advisors, calling it “money right off the bottom line.”
Another panelist discussed the permanent expansion of the federal estate tax exemption to $15 million for individuals and $30 million for joint filers, explaining that the move would protect generational family-owned campgrounds. “We want you to not have to pay that estate tax if we can help it,” the panelist stated.
Speakers also discussed OHI’s work to safeguard access to public lands after a recent proposal threatened to sell off federal acreage. One panelist emphasized that 75 percent of private campgrounds operate within 25 miles of public lands, underscoring how such measures could hurt visitation and nearby economies.
“75% of private campgrounds are within 25 miles of public lands,” one speaker said. “The people who are accessing those public lands that were going to be sold off are people who are coming to our private campgrounds and doing business in our industry.”
Another industry representative added that the issue demonstrated how federal policy could set precedents affecting state-level park management and access.
State-Level Collaboration in Wisconsin
At the state level, one industry leader described efforts in Wisconsin to address personal property tax assessments being levied on campground owners for structures they do not own, such as decks or sheds built by seasonal guests.
According to one speaker, the collaboration between OHI, WACO, and campground members—supported by voluntary financial contributions from leadership—helped move the bill through committee. “You need to be involved at that local level,” they said. “They only listen to those folks that are from that county, from that state, from that area.”
Panelists also highlighted OHI’s “Voter Voice” advocacy platform, which enables campground owners and campers to contact legislators through pre-drafted letters. In Wisconsin, the tool generated more than 3,100 letters from seasonal guests and 300 from park owners.
“With the click of a button, you have done an immeasurable effort toward supporting whatever the issue is,” one of the speakers said. Another added that this type of outreach transforms campground concerns “from not on the radar to a priority issue” in lawmakers’ offices.
Panelists outlined current federal advocacy priorities, including the proposed Online Accessibility Act, which would provide small businesses with a 90-day window to fix website compliance issues before lawsuits proceed. The discussion also highlighted “inherent risk” legislation, which helps shield parks from certain liability claims.
Featured image by Brian Searl/Modern Campground