U.S. Representative Joe Donnelly (D-IN) was the special guest at the American Recreation Coalition’s February Recreation Exchange. The session allowed recreation community leaders to express appreciation for the Congressman’s vigorous efforts to overcome challenges facing America’s recreation industry. Mr. Donnelly was actively involved in the recent U.S. Treasury announcement of actions to improve consumer loan availability, and specifically provide RV loans, through a $1 trillion program known as TALF (Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility). He also actively participated in Congressional negotiations on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provided a special federal tax deduction for state sales tax paid on motorhomes and motorcycles in addition to cars, and also expanded tax code provisions allowing many small businesses to apply current losses to the tax returns of past years, when they were profitable – a provision called NOL (Net Operating Loss) carryback.

Mr. Donnelly acknowledged the appreciation and told the group that, as a life-long outdoor recreation enthusiast, he is proud to assist the industry that “makes dreams come true for American families.”

U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA) was the special guest at the January 2009 Recreation Exchange hosted by the American Recreation Coalition. Mr. Farr, a longtime champion of the outdoors and tourism, spoke on opportunities for outdoor recreation and travel through the economic stimulus package being readied for congressional action. Those opportunities will assist increased marketing, planning and partnerships. The Congressman called for a new effort to fight the “silo mentality” he finds in federal agencies and even local tourism organizations that ignores the public’s interest in finding great things to do across agency and local government boundaries. Mr. Farr also had high praise for programs like the National Park Service’s Centennial Challenge Fund, which matches government appropriations with private funding, saying, “If we put our heads together, we get more bang for our buck!”

With the House vote on the economic stimulus package less than 24 hours away, Mr. Farr outlined the $2+ billion in benefits for public lands that the package includes. The National Park Service (NPS) stands to receive $1.7 billion for deferred maintenance projects and another $100 million for the NPS Centennial Challenge, which will in turn accrue $100 million more from private sector partners’ matching donations. Other agencies, including the Forest Service, will also receive additional funding for readily doable projects. Mr. Farr pointed out that just the week before, the National Mall hosted one of the largest gatherings America has ever seen – an estimated 1.8 million people attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Mr. Farr emphasized the importance of maintaining and improving iconic sites like the National Mall that all Americans cherish. While questions about the specifics of the economic stimulus remain, Mr. Farr told the group it is clear that public lands funds will benefit thousands of American workers by sustaining existing jobs and helping to create new employment opportunities on America’s public lands.

A panel of seasoned natural resource and conservation leaders with experience in and out of top government posts told recreation community leaders during a special November Recreation Exchange what they expect to see as the new Obama Administration takes shape. The session was held in the venerable Occidental Restaurant, just a block from the White House as President George W. Bush and President-elect Barack Obama met in the Oval Office to discuss Transition efforts. The panel addressed both opportunities and challenges but reached a consensus that recreation and conservation issues could do well if the recreation community organizes promptly and relates recreation to Obama Administration priorities, including economic recovery and healthcare improvements.

Lyle Laverty, Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, addressed the September Recreation Exchange with a call for more innovative partnerships. His remarks included an emphasis on the importance of children-and-nature initiatives and the observation that goals here and for other priorities will be best achieved by replacing talk of partnerships with “the real thing.”

Mr. Laverty championed interagency connectivity and synergy to best serve the interests of the American people. He stressed the importance of bringing the “federal family” together on recreation efforts, and cited a new “Pledge of Cooperation” on outreach to youth as demonstrating both the commitment to interagency partnerships and the ability to leverage agency strength through cooperation. Mr. Laverty also commented that the current atmosphere of financial uncertainty allows for greater incentives for federal agencies to partner with the private and nonprofit sectors and to engage volunteers in their efforts.