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Top Obama Administration Officials to Hold America’s Great Outdoors Initiative Listening Session in Minneapolis

Release Date: 07/21/2010
Contact Information: EPA Press Office, press@epa.gov, 202-564-6794

WASHINGTON – On August 4, top Obama Administration officials will hold a listening session in Minneapolis on President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to hear the public’s ideas for building a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda and reconnecting Americans with the outdoors. The listening session will be held at the University of Minnesota’s Ted Mann Concert Hall. Additional details on the session will be released in the coming days.

President Obama inaugurated the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative at a White House Conference in April. The conference brought together leaders from communities across the country that are working to protect their outdoor spaces and focused on developing and supporting innovative ideas for improving conservation and recreation at the local level.

The secretaries of the departments of Interior and Agriculture, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and chair of the Council on Environmental Quality have been asked by the president to lead this effort and to listen and learn from people all over the country. Listening sessions will engage a full range of stakeholders including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, business people, educators, state and local governments and recreation and conservation groups.

WHO: Representatives from U.S. EPA, CEQ, USDA, DOI and DOD will be present to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about America’s Great Outdoors.