Conservation Challenges Headline at White House Conference

President Leslie Mattson of Grand Teton National Park Foundation, a Jackson-based nationally recognized organization that funds special projects in Grand Teton National Park, joined conservation leaders from across the country today for President Barack Obama’s launch of the White House Initiative on America’s Great Outdoors. More than 500 participants gathered at the Department of the Interior to discuss challenges, opportunities, and innovations surrounding land preservation and the importance of reconnecting families to nature. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson spearheaded the effort.

The Initiative comes at a time when federal funding is short, prompting communities around the country to further mobilize and protect landscapes that tell America’s story and provide citizens with places to discover natural wonders. With real-life knowledge gained from experiences as varied as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s migration corridor partnership with Colorado to a Midwestern farmer’s success in transforming his land into habitat for waterfowl, the invitees hope to start a new dialogue that focuses on stepping-up U.S. conservation policy and identifying ways to further support on-the-ground work occurring in many states.

"This Administration’s multilevel effort addresses a serious problem plaguing our society today—the loss of land and the traditional role it played in our lives." Mattson said. "It’s gratifying to see grassroots movements reconnecting people to nature and reshaping the way our country thinks. Now we need to replicate these great ideas, fund them, and help them grow."

President Obama encouraged citizens to take the long view in preserving our national heritage and to build on successful conservation efforts happening outside Washington. "Their ideas will help us form a 21st century strategy for America’s great outdoors to better protect our natural landscape and our history for generations to come," he said.

Grand Teton National Park Foundation’s projects closely align with the Initiative’s goals of connecting children to the environment and promoting community-based conservation solutions via its popular privately funded youth programming. Opportunities like the Wyoming Youth Congress on Children in Nature, a joint effort between the Foundation, Teton Science Schools, and other partners also provide an educational venue for young people across the state. "Foundation youth programs address real needs in the park while introducing stewardship and the greater issues facing protected lands today," Mattson said. "Our teen trail crews and new Latino experiential program are the types of efforts the Administration hopes will scale and impact communities across the country."

Mattson believes it is every American’s obligation to care for the forests, water, and other resources that have helped our country succeed. "We owe it to our young people to leave vast lands intact, and the government can’t do this alone. It’s a responsibility we all share."

The White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors followed President Obama’s April 13 video, which encourages Americans to get involved in their local communities as part of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. The conference also builds on Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program, an initiative that challenges young people to hike, bike, and get outside more often.

Please go to the America's Great Outdoors website for more information about the White House Initiative on America’s Great Outdoors.