92-8, 363-62 and one autograph. These were the final vote counts, and the signature needed, after the U.S. Senate and U.S. House passed one of the biggest public lands packages in history, sending it to the president’s desk to be signed into law. It doesn’t take a mathematician or a political scholar to know that this package was supported in droves by both Republicans and Democrats and that these vote counts should be celebrated and learned from as a model of what can be accomplished, even in today’s Washington, D.C., when a broad coalition fights for a common goal.

Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY), who is not exactly known as a screaming bipartisan, said of the bill, “it touches every state, features the input of a wide coalition of our colleagues, and has earned the support of a broad, diverse coalition of many advocates for public lands, economic development, and conservation.” If this bill package – which permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, preserves over a million acres of public land, protects hundreds of miles of rivers, and creates new national monuments while doing much more – can bring the closely divided Congress together, then what else can the outdoor industry and its partners accomplish? I am betting a lot.

Colorado, on the other hand, has understood and witnessed numerous occasions where outdoor-related issues can bridge political divides and serve as a unifying force during divided times. In fact, Coloradans of nearly every stripe have been huge recipients of LWCF grants supporting nearly a thousand projects since its inception, and LWCF is still contributing heavily to ongoing projects improving access to public lands.

Perhaps that is why we witnessed strong support from our Colorado delegation on both sides of the aisle. It should come as no surprise that Colorado’s two U.S. senators, Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet, sponsored several portions of the legislation and both showed strong support for outdoor recreation and conservation measures. Additionally, most of the Colorado delegation followed suit in voting for the package, lauding its benefits to Colorado. This show of bipartisan support for outdoor recreation is in part fueled by Colorado’s desire to secure its portion of the booming $887 billion outdoor recreation economy and the 7.6 million jobs that come with it.

Through the work of our delegation and bipartisan cooperation, Colorado’s specific benefits in the lands package included adding private land to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument; beginning the process to designate the Pike National Historic Trail; increasing access to Holy Cross Wilderness area through the town of Minturn; conducting a study to determine whether Amache, a former Japanese internment camp, should join the national park system; and providing additional resources to improve the safety of firefighters by introducing new technologies into the field.

So, if Colorado’s delegation can do it, why shouldn’t the binding tie of the outdoors and the diverse outdoor community consisting of hunters and anglers, hikers and bikers, and boaters and paddlers across the nation help to create the next road or find a trail, as it may be, forward on some of the issues dividing Washington today? All the outdoor activities these individuals and groups participate in contribute to the outdoor recreation economy, which has a footprint in every state and congressional district in America. We are all Americans, we all want the best for our great country, and we want a thriving economy. It seems the success of the public lands bill and other recent outdoor-focused victories demonstrate just that.

By focusing on what unites us, we can come together to find more successes – and not just in conservation. From infrastructure to climate change to economic policies that benefit businesses and workers – and even to energy production that doesn’t pollute our skies or harm our health – there are paths forward that need not be one-size-fits-all.

Americans, and particularly Coloradans, love to turn to the outdoors – they help to heal our veterans; they help build leadership skills in our kids, and they provide a place to enjoy time with family and friends irrespective of political party. The outdoors provides a touchstone of unity and pride for Americans. Let’s build on the bipartisanship exemplified in this debate and figure out how we can use Americans’ love for the outdoors and its economic impact across the country for even more good work.

Amy Roberts is executive director of Outdoor Industry Association, which is based in Boulder.