Outdoor Recreation in America
Brought to you by the American Recreation Coalition
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National Get Outdoors Day Overview
News Releases
Posted on Thu, 06/26/2008 - 12:52.
June 14, 2008 marked the inaugural National Get Outdoors Day. Over 50 official National Get Outdoors Day sites across the nation from Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. to the Big Bear Discovery Center in the San Bernardino National Forest welcomed thousands of new faces to the joy and benefits of the great outdoors. Participating partners offer opportunities for American families to experience traditional and non-traditional types of outdoor activities. Each National Get Outdoors Day event offered a mix of information centers and “active fun” areas – places where guests, and especially kids, could use a fishing pole, go geocaching, help pitch a tent and more. The sites offered photo opportunities with characters like Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl and other interesting creatures. In addition, National Get Outdoors Day events encouraged partners like the Boy Scouts of America, the Boys and Girls Clubs and the National Park Service WebRangers to recruit youth to become part of programs and organizations designed to strengthen their connection to the outdoors. National Get Outdoors Day had tremendous support from partners across the country. They were grateful for the opportunity to combat the sedentary lifestyles that are affecting the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of today’s youth. The inaugural National Get Outdoors Day (NGOD) accomplishments are impressive: Great Outdoors Week 2008
Misc. | Great Outdoors Month 2008 | Great Outdoors Week 2008
Posted on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 10:32.
Washington, D.C. – Hundreds of recreation industry leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in meetings, events and celebrations of the significant contributions of the recreation community during Great Outdoors Week (June 9-14). This year’s theme, A Celebration of Partners Working to Keep the Outdoors in America’s Tomorrow, was designed to: increase the visibility of outdoor recreation on the national policy-making level; heighten the understanding and appreciation of recreation’s importance to the nation’s health, economy and quality of life; provide an opportunity to highlight key recreation policy initiatives and programs; and recognize outstanding leadership on behalf of outdoor recreation.
Children and nature, recreation and the 2008 elections, achievements of the Recreational Trails Program, the first National Get Outdoors Day, and more were addressed in productive gatherings throughout the week. Awards honoring the outstanding efforts and contributions of exemplary federal agency employees and recreation community leaders also contributed to the Week’s excitement. American Recreation Coalition Announces 2008 Beacon Award Winners
Great Outdoors Week 2008 | News Releases
Posted on Sat, 06/07/2008 - 12:53.
Washington, D.C. - Six 2008 Beacon Awards, representing outstanding efforts in harnessing the power of technology to improve public recreation experiences and federal recreation program management, were presented by the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) at the opening reception for Great Outdoors Week on Monday, June 9. The awards were presented by ARC Vice Chairman Richard Coon at the Women In Military Service For America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
28 State Governors and the President Proclaim June as Great Outdoors Month
Great Outdoors Month 2008 | News Releases
Posted on Sat, 06/07/2008 - 08:51.
President Bush’s proclamation, issued for the fifth year in succession, was released “to honor those who work to keep our natural places beautiful and to celebrate some of our country’s favorite outdoor pastimes.” The President goes on to “call on all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to take time to visit and enjoy the great outdoors.” ARC Salutes Legends Award Winners
News Releases
Posted on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 18:28.
Washington, D.C. — The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) presents its 2008 Legends Awards to seven federal managers in recognition of their outstanding work to improve outdoor recreation experiences and opportunities for the American people. The awards will be presented on June 11, 2008 during Great Outdoors Week – ARC’s celebration of the value and importance of outdoor recreation. Initiated by ARC in 1991, the Legends Award program involves seven federal agencies: Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Each agency nominates an individual whose extraordinary personal efforts have made a real difference in enhancing outdoor recreation programs and resources.
Recipients of the 2008 Legends Awards are Mark Lowans, Bureau of Land Management; Pedro “Pete” Lucero, Bureau of Reclamation; Pete Gonzalez, Federal Highway Administration; Garry Traynham, National Park Service; Brad Keshlear, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Bennie Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Dennis Krusac, U.S. Forest Service. ARC is honored to present a posthumus Lifetime Achievement Legends Award to John Keys, former Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, in recognition of his outstanding achievements to support outdoor recreation experiences for families and especially children. Coalition for Recreational Trails Announces 2008 Annual Achievement Awards Winners
Great Outdoors Month 2008 | Great Outdoors Week 2008
Posted on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 17:27.
Seven trail projects have been chosen by the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) as recipients of its tenth Annual Achievement Awards in recognition of their outstanding use of Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds. These national awards will be presented at a special Capitol Hill ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 12, 2008 as part of the celebration of Great Outdoors Week 2008.
The trail projects honored by the CRT and their award categories are:
Great Outdoors Week: Washington, D.C., June 9-15, 2008
Great Outdoors Month 2008 | Great Outdoors Week 2008
Posted on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 11:48.
Each June since 1996, hundreds of leaders of America’s recreation community have gathered in Washington, D.C., to take part in meetings and events designed to:
A Great Start for National Get Outdoors Day
News Releases
Posted on Mon, 06/02/2008 - 16:34.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne Named as 20th Sheldon Coleman Great Outdoors Award Recipient
News Releases
Posted on Tue, 05/20/2008 - 09:38.
Secretary Kempthorne was a recreation champion during his service in the U.S. Senate where he led successful efforts to create a sustainable funding source for building and maintaining trails and promoted balance between resource protection and outdoor fun. The award also recognizes the Secretary’s championship of recreation programs during his two terms as Governor of Idaho and his remarkable leadership as the nation’s Secretary of the Interior. In addition to tangible successes in park funding and his national leadership of efforts to increase outdoor activities by American youth, Secretary Kempthorne has brought about fundamental changes in the relationships among national interests in the environmental, conservation and recreation arenas. The new cooperation and conversation will have a lasting benefit for the shared legacy of parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters. The recreation community also applauds the Secretary’s support for the Take Pride in America program and its messages of volunteerism and responsible use of the outdoors. The Role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Recreation
News Releases
Posted on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 13:55.
Mr. Ensch addressed the intense competition for recreation resource funding. “With the President’s agenda to balance the budget by 2012, support the War on Terror and now provide economic stimulus, where will the funding for our recreation operations and infrastructure come from?” he asked. Mr. Ensch predicted that the recent increase in gas prices will create an “interesting difficulty for us,” as families put off cross-country trips and stay closer to home, increasing the visitation to the Corps’ near-urban projects. |