funoutdoors.com - Outdoor Recreation in America

American Recreation Coalition’s Podcast Project Selected As National Park Service Centennial Challenge Project

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:50:28 -0400

April 25, 2008 - (Washington, D.C.) Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined National Park Service (NPS) Director Mary Bomar, a potent group of Members of Congress and a large group of park supporters to announce 110 national park projects and programs, funded by private and public funds, under President Bush’s National Park Centennial Challenge Initiative. For 2008, Congress appropriated $24.6 million for the Centennial Challenge Fund and the private sector responded with nearly $27 million in matching contributions, totaling $51 million for the projects announced on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

National Get Outdoors Day Preview Announced

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:19:48 -0400

A preview of the first-ever National Get Outdoors Day will be held in the Washington, D.C. suburbs on May 31, two weeks before events will be held across the nation to help all Americans – and especially American families with children – discover opportunities for healthy fun. The preview will be hosted by the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America at Camp William B. Snyder with the involvement of dozens of national and regional organizations.

National Get Outdoors Day, which promotes the fun and value of time outdoors, is a signature event of “Great Outdoors Month,” the designation given annually to June by the White House and governors across the United States. For the last two decades, Americans have turned indoors and to less physically active leisure pursuits. Visits to national parks and most other public recreation sites have declined and obesity has increased rapidly among the American people, with significant health consequences, including projections of life expectancy declines of 2-5 years for today’s youth. The USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition have each pledged $100,000 to the inaugural National Get Outdoors Day in an effort to reconnect children and nature and to reverse these dangerous trends.

National Park Service Deputy Director Lindi L. Harvey Addresses the Centennial Initiative and Youth Outreach Efforts

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:56:00 -0400

Lindi L. Harvey, National Park Service Deputy Director, spoke to the April 2008 Recreation Exchange. Deputy Director Harvey focused her remarks on the National Park Service Centennial Initiative and her agency’s efforts to reconnect today’s youth to the parks. Ms. Harvey applauded the Recreation Exchange participants’ partnerships with the National Park Service and called on the group to further lend their expertise in moving forward the Centennial legislation and supporting youth-outreach projects.

National Get Outdoors Day Update

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:38:43 -0400

The first National Get Outdoors Day will be on June 14th and will emphasize reaching new and first time visitors to public lands. By offering diverse activities and opportunities, this national effort will broaden appreciation for and interest in the great outdoors – and awareness of its benefits. Plans are for the day to continue on the second Saturday of each subsequent June.

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Tevi Troy Promotes Good Health Through the Great Outdoors

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:56:32 -0400

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tevi Troy was the guest at the March Recreation Exchange, a special session held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the National Park Hospitality Association. Dr. Troy opened his remarks by recognizing that, while science and medical advancements allow people the opportunity to be among the healthiest who ever lived, “good health care is not up to others. Health care starts with self care.” Dr. Troy said that far too many people are not making the effort to take care of themselves, and as a result, chronic diseases have replaced infectious diseases as major killers. “Largely preventable chronic diseases cause seven in 10 deaths and consume three out of four dollars spent on healthcare,” he said.

National Get Outdoors Day Launches: Seeking 100 Sites and Diverse Partnerships

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:57:29 -0400

Washington, D.C. (February 28, 2008) Participants from dozens of federal agencies and non-profit organizations and the recreation industry gathered in Washington to launch National Get Outdoors Day, a new annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. On June 14, 2008, and each June thereafter, these partners will offer sites for American families to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities. Prime goals of the day are reaching first-time visitors to public lands and reconnecting our youth to the great outdoors.

Outdoor Recreation Village Unites Many to Get Kids Off Couches and Into the Great Outdoors

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:00:26 -0400

Washington, DC (February 12, 2008) More than 40 organizations formed a unique team of outdoor advocates to help tens of thousands of visitors to Glendale, Arizona, drawn by Super Bowl XLII, discover healthy fun in the Great Outdoors. For four days, the organizations produced the first-ever Outdoor Recreation Village at one of the world’s top media events and used the Village as a platform to announce new initiatives to connect all Americans, and especially American youth, to the nation’s wonderful array of parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Leaders Embrace New Recreation Strategy

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:43:52 -0400

Washington, DC (February 11, 2008) The leadership of the nation’s top provider of public outdoor recreation opportunities today expressed solid support for a new recreation strategy for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that links agency recreation efforts both to the overall mission of the Corps and the U.S. Army to protect the nation’s health, safety and security and to special efforts to aid active duty, retired and reserve military and their families. The strategy seeks to continue the agency’s leading role in providing public recreation opportunities in America. It now hosts nearly 400 million recreation visits annually.

Partners Outdoors 2008

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:30:31 -0400

Partners Outdoors 2008
“Unlocking the Fun and Benefits of the Outdoors to All Americans, and Especially Youth”
January 13-16, 2008

Partners Outdoors 2008 hosted over 125 participants from the recreation community – representing both the public and private sectors – at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Snowbird, Utah. The four-day conference highlighted the essential need for partnerships in tackling the challenge of engaging our youth in the great outdoors.

NPS Public Use Statistics January - November 2007

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:07:44 -0400

The National Park Service recently released its statistics for the first 11 months of 2007.
Overall recreation visits increased by 0.8%.

Substantial variations by region and type of unit were reported.

For the full report, click here

“The Obesity Epidemic: A Looming Crisis”

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:08:08 -0400

Dr. David Ludwig, a respected physician and researcher at the Children’s Hospital Boston and professor at Harvard Medical School, wrote an article which appeared in this month’s New England Journal of Medicine. In his paper, he compares obesity's consequences to those of global climate change:

"Without effective intervention, the costs of obesity might well become catastrophic, arising not only from escalating medical expenses but also from diminished worker productivity, caused by physical and psychological disabilities. Future economic losses could mean the difference between solvency and bankruptcy for Medicare, between expanding and shrinking health care coverage, and between investment in and neglect of our social infrastructure, with profound implications for our international competitiveness. The human costs would be incalculable."

National Parks and FYO8 Appropriations:

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:29:25 -0500

President Bush signed the fiscal year 2008 "Omnibus" appropriations bill on December 26, 2007. The FY08 budget provides funding for nearly $474 billion in domestic spending programs. The bill will provide an approximate $150 million boost in National Park Service operations budget and an immediate $25 million start-up for the Centennial Challenge Fund.

Outdoor Recreation Village 2008 in Glendale Will Highlight Excitement and Benefits of Active Outdoor Lives

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:54:28 -0500

Washington D.C. (December 20, 2007) - America’s wonderfully diverse outdoor recreation opportunities will be showcased and celebrated at the Outdoor Recreation Village from January 31 to February 3, 2008, at Westgate City Center (Glendale, AZ) in conjunction with the Big Game. The outdoors will be on display through the efforts of the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) and dozens of partners ranging from federal agencies which manage one-third of the surface of the nation to key recreation businesses, including Forever Resorts, LLC and The Coleman Company.

Visitors to the Outdoor Recreation Village can wander from “neighborhood” to “neighborhood” checking out all of the exciting recreation activities. A center stage will host special demonstrations by a diverse group of presenters, including the Arizona WOW-Wonderful Outdoor World campers. These inner-city youth will share their experiences of an overnight camp-out in the heart of their community which opened their eyes to healthy outdoor fun that is available on public lands across the nation.

NPS Shows Slight Rise in Visitation

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:41:50 -0500

Although national park visitation started slow in 2007, national parks proved a good magnet for visitors in the summer months and the 9-month report now shows a 1.3% increase over the comparable period of 2006. As the NPS report indicates, the trends differ from region to region and by type of park. But high gas prices do not appear to be a strong deterrent. One other consideration is that international visitation is up significantly for 2007 -- in part reflecting a bargain with the current valuation of the US dollar against many other currencies, including the Canadian dollar. Unfortunately, NPS data does not allow much analysis of visitor orgin and other key characteristics.

America the Beautiful: Secretary Kempthorne Champions the Great Outdoors

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:46:34 -0500

Louisville, KY (November 27, 2007) U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne was a featured speaker at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s 45th Annual National RV Trade Show. Mr. Kempthorne spoke to a record attendance of 1,200 participants at an early morning kick-off event. A long time RV owner and avid recreationist, Secretary Kempthorne called upon the RV community to lead efforts reconnecting our nation to the great outdoors. “This is a dynamic industry. You have the opportunity to help Americans get outdoors,” said Secretary Kempthorne.