In April, President Barack Obama established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with the great outdoors.
The President directed the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to lead this effort and to listen and learn from people all over the country.
A Public Listening Session held in Asheville on July 15 drew 465 participants.
If you missed the listening session, we encourage you to submit your comments on-line at the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative website, where you can also find further information about the effort.
Your comments will help shape the report due to the President on Nov. 15, 2010. Specifically, the organizers want to know:
• Challenges – What obstacles exist to achieving your goals for conservation, recreation, or reconnecting people to the outdoors?
• What Works – Please share your thoughts and ideas on effective strategies for conservation, recreation and reconnecting people to the outdoors.
• Federal Government Role – How can the federal government be a more effective partner in helping to achieve conservation, recreation or reconnecting people to the outdoors?
• Tools – What additional tools and resources would help your efforts be even more successful?
Should you wish to reference the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in your comments, a fact sheet about the designation and the organization can be downloaded here.
