American Great Outdoors Initiative

Issue in brief: 

Hudson Valley Landscape. Photo by Georgette Weir.In April 2010 at the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must happen at the local level.

Therefore, President Obama directed the principal leaders of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to travel across the country to listen and learn from people directly involved in finding grassroots solutions to conserving our lands and waters and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors. The President indicated that the sessions should engage the full range of interested groups, including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, youth groups, businesspeople, educators, state and local governments, and recreation and conservation groups.

 

Issue Updates & Background: 

 

July 23, 2010
Public Listening Session Set for Friday, August 6 in Poughkeepsie, NY; Preregistration Urged by August 3

The August 6th public listening session and discussion are an opportunity for leaders of the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to hear from you and other voices in the Hudson Valley about solutions for building a 21st-century conservation and recreation agenda and for reconnecting people with the outdoors.

Here are the details.
Listening Session and Discussion Information

  • When: Friday, August 6, 9:00 a.m. - noon
  • Where: Marist College, Student Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
For directions, go to: http://www.marist.edu/about/directions.html.
  • Who: Senior Washington, D.C., and local leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies will be present to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about America's Great Outdoors.

Please: This event is free and open to the public. For planning purposes it would be helpful if you  would pre-register by Tuesday, August 3 by sending an email to joseph.heller@ny.usda.gov with your name, the name of the organization with which you are affiliated, if any, and your telephone number. Include in your email your primary area of interest by noting your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice of the Concurrent Breakout Listening Sessions listed below. We will make every effort to accommodate everyone. Please also let us know if you have any special needs.

In the event you are unable to participate in person, please submit your comments and stories via the America's Great Outdoors website at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/.
If you have questions, please contact Joseph Heller at (845) 883-7162, Extension 104 or joseph.heller@ny.usda.gov.

We hope you will participate and look forward to hearing from you.


Choice of Concurrent Breakout Listening Sessions:
1. Conservation of working farms, forests, and coastal areas.
2. Reconnecting people with the outdoors through recreation and education.
3. Creating a healthy river: Conserving and restoring important habitat and blueways.
4. General session for those who do not want to designate a specific topic.

Respond to: 
Talking points: 
Sample Letter: