By Judy Sheahan
May 3, 2010

The White House hosted a conference on April 16 that focused on “Americas Great Outdoors.” The purpose of the conference was to begin developing a strategy to encourage more Americans, particularly children, to reconnect with the outdoors including local and national parks as well as rivers and waterways. President Barak Obama spoke at the conference, along with members of his Cabinet including Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley. Other featured speakers included Newark (NJ) Mayor Cory Booker and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, as well as representatives of outdoor groups, farmers, ranchers, and businesses.

This is the first White House conference focused on America’s Great Outdoors since Teddy Roosevelt was President. At the conference, President Obama signed a memorandum that will be published in the Federal Register that establishes the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The Initiative directs the above-mentioned Cabinet members to work in coordination with other federal agencies to help “reconnect Americans, especially children, to America’s rivers and waterways, landscapes of national significance, ranches, farms and forests, great parks and coasts and beaches.”

The Initiative also calls on these federal agencies to outreach and conduct “listening and learning sessions around the country where land and waters are being conserved and community parks are being established in innovative ways.” Local governments are to be included in these listening sessions.

A report is to be submitted to the President by November 15 that examines successful conservation approaches, analyzes how federal resources and programs can by useful, propose strategies to achieve the goals of the Initiative, and develop an action plan.

For more information about the initiative, go to the website www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors