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Outdoor Recreation Idea of the Day, December 8, 2010

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:11:49 -0500

Focus on the Frontcountry

December 8, 2010 (Washington, DC) - Wilderness and backcountry areas are marvelous and need protection, but the battle to connect Americans to their lands and the Great Outdoors is going to be won or lost in the frontcountry -- easily accessed places that have tangible values for picnics and walks, jogging and biking and more. The Congress has largely ignored these important areas for decades and instead focused on battle between entrenched interests on roadless areas and Wilderness, oil and gas leasing and timber harvests. Those arguments will continue, but some of us want to bring new debate and energies to much less contentious initiatives to protect open spaces near people's daily lives.

Idea of the Day is inspired by the President's America's Great Outdoors Initiative to connect Americans to the outdoors and as well as AGO's IdeaJam blog. ARC’s submissions to the blog can be found if you click here. Additional ideas that have been submitted to IdeaJam can be found in our September 2010 newsletter, which is here.

Outdoor Recreation Idea of the Day, December 8, 2010

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:12:33 -0500

Focus on the Frontcountry

National Forest Planning Rule: Recreation at Heart of Debate, Leaders tell Chief

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:37:41 -0500

<b>National Forest Planning Rule: Recreation at Heart of Debate, Leaders tell Chief (Continued

National Forest Planning Rule: Recreation at Heart of Debate, Leaders tell Chief

September 27, 2010 (Washington, DC) - A high-level, diverse group of recreation community leaders met today with the Chief of the Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, and top agency leaders today to express their major concerns with the new Forest Planning Rule now being prepared for publication and comments. According to Derrick Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition, “this rule will have a significant impact on forest plans and will thus determine recreational opportunities on some 190 million acres of key federal lands.”

The seven recreation community leaders spoke on behalf of the $400 billion per annum recreation industry, enthusiasts and gateway communities. The Chief told the group, “it is appropriate and right for recreation to be the first thought when Americans think about the national forests.

The meeting came in response to a letter to the Chief from nearly 80 top recreation organizations expressing major concerns about the Planning Rule. Although they had responded to Forest Service invitations to help guide the rule, they had real doubts that the messages they had delivered in a series of meetings, in written comments and through an agency blog were understood and having an effect on the draft Planning Rule.

To read the letter, click here.

Recreation Leaders Prepare to Meet with Forest Service Chief

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:16:09 -0500

September 30, 2010 (Washington, DC) - Attending the Forest Service meeting, from left, Michael Berry, President, National Ski Areas Association, Lakewood, Colo.; Larry Smith, Executive Director, Americans for Responsible Recreational Access, Washington, DC; David Brown, Executive Director, America Outdoors Association, Knoxville, Tenn.; Hon. William Horn, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Washington, DC; Hon. Lyle Laverty, Executive Director, National Association of Gateway Communities, Denver, Colo.; Derrick Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition. Not pictured, Michael Nussman, Pr

America's Byways and Goodyear: Top 50 Comfortable Touring Drives

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:46:36 -0500

America's Byways Top 50 Comfortable Touring Drives

September 29, 2010 (Washington, DC) - The America's Byways Resource Center and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announce the Top 50 Comfortable Touring Drives. These top 50 touring drives, selected by Goodyear, encompass comfort and scenery to enhance the trip and are all within reasonable distance of major metropolitan areas.

On TV and radio today, September 30, the "outdoor guru" Derrick Crandall*, national spokesperson and president of the American Recreation Coalition announced the Byways selected for the program. A Goodyear survey showed that 97 percent of Americans planning a fall road trip agree
that their overall comfort is the key to enjoying it. The full list can be viewed Click here And to see a TV news story, Click here

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:36:42 -0400

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Twitter

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:10:24 -0400

The National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Twitter Page

Secretary Vilsack

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:17:12 -0400

Secretary Vilsack addresses the crowd at the June 2010 Recreation Exchange

Great Outdoors Week 2010 Report

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:26:48 -0400

Washington, D.C. – Recreation community leaders, allies, friends groups and government agency partners gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in briefings, events and celebrations of the many significant contributions of the recreation community during Great Outdoors Week 2010 (June 7-12).

Achievements of the Beacon Award winners, accomplishments of the Recreational Trails Program, the third annual National Get Outdoors Day, the need to build the connection between outdoor recreation and healthier Americans (with the help of some of the nation’s leading physicians), and more were addressed during the week. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack also served as the special guest at the June Recreation Exchange luncheon and helped present the American Recreation Coalition’s Legends Awards to exemplary federal agency employees.

Great Outdoors Week is coordinated by the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) and includes events co-hosted by more than a dozen federal agencies and national organizations. The week is a key component of Great Outdoors Month, a month-long celebration of outdoor recreation in America that also features National Trails Day (June 5), National Fishing and Boating Week (June 5-13), National Get Outdoors Day (June 12), the Great American Backyard Campout (June 26) and for the first time in June, National Marina Day (June 12).

To read the full report, click here.

Will Shafroth encourages outdoor recreation groups to participate in formation of America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:14:25 -0500

Will Shafroth, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, was the special guest at the April 2010 Recreation Exchange hosted by the American Recreation Coalition. Prior to taking his position at the Interior Department, Mr. Shafroth was a founder and executive director of the nonprofit Colorado Conservation Trust from 2000 to 2008. The group increased the pace and effectiveness of land and wildlife habitat conservation in Colorado, raising $18 million in private contributions, spurring the investment of $35 million into conservation projects, and leveraging $200 million in public funds. His efforts helped preserve 30,000 acres of wildlife habitat and open space.

Additionally, Mr. Shafroth was a key player in the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (GOCO), serving as its first executive director. During his time with GOCO – which is funded by Colorado lottery proceeds – Mr. Shafroth oversaw the granting of $250 million for 1,600 projects that preserved 300,000 acres of wildlife habitat, ranchland and open space. The initiative built diverse partnerships with ranchers, sportsmen, conservationists, businesspeople and government officials, including state administrators and legislators. GOCO also established parks, trails, environmental education centers, a statewide cattlemen's land trust and youth conservation corps across the state. GOCO grants leveraged more than $1.5 billion in additional funding, said Mr. Shafroth, and became a catalyst in increasing the importance of the great outdoors in the lives of Coloradans. He noted that in 1992 there were only a handful of land trust groups in Colorado. Today, there are over 40. He explained that the Obama Administration is hoping to replicate Colorado’s success in increasing the relevance of the outdoors – but this time on a national level – with its first Administration-wide outdoors initiative – America’s Great Outdoors.

Senate Confirmation Hearings Begin for NPS Director Nominee Jon Jarvis

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:26:20 -0400

Senate confirmation hearings for National Park Service Director nominee Jon Jarvis began on July 28. Mr. Jarvis was questioned on a wide variety of issues that he will likely face as NPS Director, including snowmobiles in Yellowstone, helicopters over Crater Lake and guns in the national parks. ARC will continue to continue to post updates on the progress of Mr. Jarvis' nomination.

To read Mr. Jarvis' July 28 statement to the U. S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, click here.

Below is the text from the New York Times article covering the hearing:

GO-Day 2009

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:57:01 -0400

To combat the threats posed by today’s indoor, inactive lifestyles – such as the growing obesity epidemic and the projection that today’s kids will live shorter lives than their parents due to lifestyle choices – several hundred local, state and federal agencies, diverse nonprofit organizations in the health and youth-services fields, the recreation community and media interests teamed up to host the second annual National Get Outdoors Day (GO-Day) on June 13, 2009. The national effort was again led by the U.S. Forest Service (FS) and the American Recreation Coalition (ARC), but the number and diversity of the organizations involved nationally and locally increased sharply. Uniting these partners was a shared belief in the Mission of National Get Outdoors Day:

Unify public and private-sector interests in efforts to influence American lifestyles, especially among youth, in ways that maximize the physical, mental and other benefits derived from activities in the Great Outdoors through a focused effort to invite Americans to designated sites on a single day, as well as to highlight and assist the efforts of National Get Outdoors Day partners year-round.

GO-Day 2009 was built around offering opportunities for American families to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities, regardless of past experience, skills or ownership of equipment. Those Americans currently underserved by visits to public lands and waters and youth – especially urban youth – were priority targets for the events. GO-Day organizers accepted a challenge: making the appeal of the great outdoors equal that of shopping malls and video games. And they met this challenge with exceptional results.

President champions need to connect America’s children to their public lands

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:51:21 -0400

President Barack Obama spoke passionately about the importance of connecting America’s children to their public lands during his address at the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior on March 3. The President told the group that America’s long-term prosperity depends upon the faithful stewardship of our natural resources, but that this trust cannot be measured in protected acres, preserved rivers or energy reserves.

“It's a child wandering amidst ancient redwoods, a love for science stirred as she looks skyward. It's a young man running his hand along the walls at Ellis Island, where his grandmother once carried her every possession and the hope of a new life. It's a family hiking along canyons carved by ancient floods, or mountains shaped by shifting continents -- finding peace in the beauty of the natural world. These are experiences that enrich our lives and remind us of the blessings that we share.”

The President fondly recounted memories of his own transformational childhood vacation to see America’s flagship national parks with his family. He described seeing our nation’s natural wonders as “an experience I will never forget. It's an experience I want for my daughters, and for all of our daughters and sons, to see the incredible beauty of this nation.”

To read a transcript or watch a video clip of the President’s moving speech, click here.

National Get Outdoors Day 2009 Plans Announced

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:39:14 -0500

Washington, D.C. (January 15, 2009) A consortium of federal agencies and nonprofit organizations and the recreation industry today announced details for National Get Outdoors Day 2009, an annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun across the nation. On June 13, 2009, participating organizations will offer sites for American families to sample both traditional and new 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, and then invite those taking part in the day to visit specific sites for fun “EChO-Events” for opportunities to hike with rangers, learn to fish, and go mountain biking.

In June 2008, more than 60 National Get Outdoors Day events were held, drawing tens of thousands of youth and their families. The events included climbing walls, chances to have pictures taken with Smokey Bear, introductions to fishing and new activities like geocaching and much more.

Partners Outdoors 2009 Meeting Materials

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:11:58 -0500

For the first time, all Partners Outdoors materials are available electronically as part of an effort to be more environmentally friendly. By eliminating our traditional meeting books, we will save multiple thousands of sheets of paper. Each meeting participant will instead receive a Partners Outdoors 2009 flash drive or CD pre-loaded with the following meeting materials.

Making Great Outdoors Month Bigger and Better

Reaching Special Publics – Youth, Seniors, People with Disabilities (including wounded military), and New Citizens

Redesigning the Toolbox for Tomorrow (visit the Toolbox at www.tools4outdoors.us)

Background Readings and Information

Impact of Recreation on Society

Outdoor Resources Review Group

Federal Information

111th Congress