Doug Brinkley and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar discuss America's Great Outdoors, draft vision for the Refuge System.
On February 16th, President Obama released the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) report, which is a comprehensive look at the way government will handle conservation efforts in the future, as well as getting Americans to connect with the outdoors and our public lands. Last week on February 24, Secretary Ken Salazar announced the availability of a draft vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System as part of the Conserving the Future effort.
Involving and engaging youth is one of AGO’s most integral components. The Interior Department’s Office of Youth in the Great Outdoors has put together a great video on some of the Youth Specific concerns raised at listening sessions. Efforts to reach out to the public continue, with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair, Nancy Sutley holding a live Facebook Chat this Thursday March 3rd at 4:30.
Last year, I had the fantastic experience of interning with the Interior Department’s Office of Youth in the Great Outdoors. I analyzed youth concerns voiced during AGO’s listening sessions where young people across the country expressed their thoughts of what is important to their generation. This experience showed me that these issues are important to young people across the country. The young adults I spoke to, however, also identified many factors that create barriers to their engagement with the Great Outdoors, such as economic and social obstacles. They also talked about the loss of connection to the outdoors and outdoor activities that were once at the core of previous generations experiences growing up.
As a Conserving the Future Fellow here within the National Wildlife Refuge, my goal is to help the Refuge System draft and implement its vision; incorporate the goals of Youth and how the system can best “engage new constituencies.”
Engaging our nation’s youth a big job, so I would encourage everyone to suggest here any ideas as to how encourage the engagement of such an important group – our nation’s youth!
Ryan Strom, Conserving the Future Fellow, National Wildlife Refuge System. The Conserving the Future Fellows program is in partnership with the Student Conservation Association (SCA).
