The first National Get Outdoors Day will be on June 14th and will emphasize reaching new and first time visitors to public lands. By offering diverse activities and opportunities, this national effort will broaden appreciation for and interest in the great outdoors – and awareness of its benefits. Plans are for the day to continue on the second Saturday of each subsequent June.

National Get Outdoors Day sites will be selected using the following criteria:

Proximity to/easy access from one or more metropolitan areas

Capacity to host 2,000 -10,000 participants

Existing food service, comfort stations and parking facilities

Ease of involvement of multiple government and private-sector partners

Ability to demonstrate outdoor activities such as bird watching, hiking, fishing, camping and to provide information on pursuing those activities

Capability to highlight traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities

Current 2008 National Get Outdoors Day site candidates include: Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort (Utah); Callville Bay Marina (Nevada); Mountain High Resort (California); the Boy Scouts of America’s Camp William Snyder in Haymarket, Virginia; and State parks in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

A national coordinating team will offer consistent information and support for locally planned events. The team will provide links to partners, resources for recruitment and coordinated communications including a website, www.getoutdoorsusa.org where details about the event are posted.

To join the national coordinating team or to find out more information on National Get Outdoors Day, contact Caroline Mica, 202-682-9530, cmica@funoutdoors.com