 |
|
| Media Advisory No. 4127.10 |
Contact:
USDA Office of Communications
(202) 720-4623
|
Obama Administration Officials To Hold Listening Sessions In Montana On The President’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative
WASHINGTON, May 27, 2010 – On Wednesday, June 2, 2010, senior Administration officials will be in Montana to conduct free and open listening sessions as part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The listening sessions will be an opportunity for Montanans to tell members of the Administration about what is being done at the individual, local, and state level to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding modern-day, community-based land and water conservation and ways that Americans are reconnecting to the outdoors.
The sessions are fully open to the public and press. The organizers have requested that interested individuals planning to attend pre-register in order to help accommodate everyone who wants to attend. However, pre-registration is not required.
At the White House Conference on April 16, 2010, President Obama directed the principal leaders of the agencies involved in America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to travel across the country to listen and learn from people directly involved in finding community driven solutions to conserving our lands and waters and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors.
The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative was established 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, and 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.
The listening sessions will take place one day after a tour of protected areas of the Blackfoot Valley and public discussion about Montana’s outdoor heritage and a celebration of collaborative efforts to protect Montana’s Crown of the Continent with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester, and Governor Brian Schweitzer. For more information on the Secretary Vilsack and Chair Sutley events on Tuesday, June 1, please contact Carolyn Bunce at (202) 224 4371.
Listening sessions details:
| |
BOZEMAN |
| WHEN: |
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
9-11 a.m. |
| WHERE: |
Montana State University
Strand Union Building
Bozeman, Montana |
| |
HELENA |
|
WHEN: |
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
9-11 a.m. |
|
WHERE |
Red Lion Colonial Hotel
2301 Colonial Drive
Helena, Montana |
|
|
MISSOULA |
|
WHEN: |
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
9-11 a.m. |
|
WHERE |
The University of Montana
University Center (3rd Floor)
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, Montana |
|
|
Missoula Youth Session: |
|
WHEN |
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
11:30 a.m. |
|
WHERE |
The University of Montana
University Center (3rd Floor)
32 Campus Drive,
Missoula, Montana |
WHO WILL BE LISTENING: Washington, D.C. representatives will be there to hear Montanans thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about America’s Great Outdoors. These representatives will include:
• Secretary Vilsack’s staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
• Secretary Salazar’s staff at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI); and/or
• Staff from the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Local leaders from USDA and DOI will also be there to listen to Montanans ideas.
This event is open to the public and press.
Individuals who are unable to participate in person can submit comments and stories via the America’s Great Outdoors website at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
|
| |
|
