A Promise to Future Generations
Americans have a proud tradition of working together – from the ground-up – to conserve farmland and open space for future generations, restore rivers and streams, protect areas for hiking and biking, preserve beaches and coastlines, conserve wildlife habitat for fishing and hunting, and restore the cultural and historic sites that tell America’s story. In fact, community-driven efforts to conserve America’s land, water, and wildlife are a major reason why we are blessed with the parks, refuges, forests, and open spaces that we enjoy today.
On April 16, President Obama launched the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative as a way to create a national dialogue about conservation in America.
As part of this dialogue, we brought together ranchers, farmers and forest landowners, sportsmen and women, state and local government leaders, tribal leaders, public-lands experts, conservationists, youth leaders, business representatives, and others to learn about some of the smart, creative ways communities are conserving outdoor spaces.
Today we are releasing the America’s Great Outdoors report “A Promise to future generations,” which is a result of that dialogue. Recognizing that the best ideas come from outside Washington, the report released today outlines ways in which the Federal Government will help empower local communities to accomplish their conservation and recreation priorities. Last summer, senior Administration officials held 51 listening sessions across the country to gather input from Americans about the outdoor places and activities that they value most. These sessions drew more than 10,000 participants and over 100,000 online written comments, shaping an action plan that we are releasing today.
We hope you will join our continuing conversation about America’s Great Outdoors. Please check out and comment on our national progress. We want to hear from you about the places you love, your community’s efforts to protect them, and how we can better support modern-day land and water conservation efforts happening in communities across the country.
(15 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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indeed it is
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Looks like spam bots has found this site great job webmasters you should be proud.
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My National Park is doing an Earth Week event series in April and would like to obtain a copy of this AGO video. Haven’t seen any links for obtaining downloads. Anyone know how we might get a copy? Our thanks for any assistance!
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If you can’t light the whole room, you can illuminate your corner.
So I’ve started an Outdoors elective at our school. There were too many children at the sign up for me to teach. What a surprise!
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I am a Scot who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and visits your country nearly every year . I have been in 46 States, 25 National Parks and uncounted National Monuments and Historic Sites and State Parks. You have a beautiful country and I wish you well in preserving that beauty for future generations of visitors as well natives
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Thanks Doug! I spent four months in Scotland (mostly up by Inverness in the Findhorn eco-village) and you also have a beautiful country. I think the challenge is in balancing the preservation of “wild spaces”, building locally and sustainably, and also keeping it affordable. Every community will have to deal with this differently (e.g. maybe the northwest will use cob, the northeast strawbale) but I think Findhorn is a great model along with all the intentional communities popping up trying to create new paradigms.
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I doubt this dialouge is going to get Obama to do anything. All politicians care about is $
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I agree with this completely. This is a great initiative, but I doubt it will lead to anything. Our youth needs to be in Resource Conservation courses, and learning about what really matters!
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This dialouge is not about getting “Obama to do anything.” It’s about motivating citizens at all ages to get involved at the community level. Waiting for our elected officials to make things happen and blaming them when they don’t is short sighted.
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We need to protect the only non renewable resource we have, our waterways must be protected and our youth need to understand that the life on, in and living off of the water is in danger. Our focus should be on the only thing we can’t rebuild,reproduce or invent. Without water there is no form of life safe, even the enviroment.
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I have always admired Native Americans for many reasons. One of them is their belief that whatever is done needs to be done with consideration “to the seventh generation”. Between that and their special relationship with the earth, I was wondering how the rest of us might align with them to restore and preserve the earth.
Look what just showed up today in my Facebook newsfeed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nu0v8oyLqA
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!
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We are thrilled with “America’s Great Outdoors” initiative. Hats off to President Obama for realizing the importance of spending time outside and letting nature speak to us.
Our website; landsnorkel.com started with an idea 20 years ago to promote spending more time in nature by wandering and wondering through the natural world. Whether it be a vacant lot, ones backyard or a National Park one can find beauty and inspiration in nature. Here’s hoping this initiative gives folks the push to realize how much one can learn from spending time in the great outdoors.
Carol Guzman-Aspevig & Clyde Aspevig
Co-founders of landsnorkel.com
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This is a great initiative, but there are always new developments in government policy that contradict the initiative. For example, I recently read on http://www.commondreams.org, the website of a nonprofit, citizen’s organization, that the adminstration is embracing genetically engineered crops being grown on wildlife refuges. This goes against the preservation of natural spaces in so many ways. I hope they will do something to reverse this new development.
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I Live In Fort Payne, Alabama 5Miles West Of Little River Canyon.Something Needs To Be Put Into Place To Help Illegal Dumping Of Waste From Companies Into Little River Canyon Parkway,Also People To.Thank You.
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Is It Really Necessary To Capitalize Each And Every Word?
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Has anyone really went out and visited the wide open spaces they speak of. Gone out of the city limits, enjoyed the peacefulness of the Great outdoors. Many probably have and thoroughly enjoyed it. But lets look at the other end many people forget about. The people who carve a living off of the land providing the very nutrients for your existance. Agriculture is a vital part of this country. Many people are able to live in nice houses, eat safe quality food, live in comfort due to the risk takers in the “Great outdoors”. If not for ranchers, farmers, miners, lumberjack the Great outdoors would not be so great. We treat the land with respect because we want to. We strive to produce safe quality products so that All Americans have the opportunity for a cheap source of food and housing. If not for the people involved in agriculture many of the places you wish to make monuments would be decolate, barron places.
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Yes the root cause of all our problems is the urbanization of America. Far too many environmental disasters like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, WASHINGTON D.C. LasVegas…
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But most people live in urban areas, and the vast amount of economic activity, which pays for our environmental stewardship, comes from urban areas. Can we have protected spaces without the majority of our population being located in these cities?
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Our connection (or disconnect) with the natural outdoors will determine the very health of our nation, both internal and external. The way each one of us relates to nature must be personal, up close, and real. Since this initiative starts with local involvement, it can only be as effective as each one of us will make it. Let’s get on board and give it all we’ve got!
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I noticed there is no mention of one of America’s national trasures and that is our wildlife. We have to strongly protect our nation’s heritage by supporting through conservation, the animals we share our earth with.
It is very important that we protect all of our wildlife which includes America’s wolves and not to allow anyone to remove any protections for them such as the Endangered Species Act.
I want America’s children to be able to enjoy our nation’s wildlife and that is why we have to protect the animals and their habitat.
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Joan you’re beautiful….that is a wonderful initiative. I love people like you.
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i am disappointed. i dont thnk the great outdoors is urban tiny parks. which is the focus – the great outdoors or urban renewal? i am disappoainted because i havent seen ken salazar do one thing to save the environment and he is heading this up????????????????????? all of our open space is in worse shape than ever. we have peoiple of violence wanting to kill every species that god put on earth. we have lumber barons, mining barons, cattle ranchers that get thousands of acres that they
pay $5.00 an acre per year to use and destroy. ken salazar is in charge of that. agriculture doesnt want to leave a single animal alive. they want to kill wolves and bears and deer and elks and everything, but they get crap money to make “habitats” for it. makes no sense to me to pay them when they have a gun in their hand much of the time. i do want the environment preserved, not fake nice names for lousy programs.
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It may not enough to simply have outdoor reservations, it is more imperative to keep them operationally healthy and attractive. They are our greatest legacy.
Other policies such as the clean energy initiative will equally do us a lot good, reducing the carbon monoxide that is already threatening our God-given, fresh air.
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This is a wonderful initiative! I have attended a listening session and sent in my comments, but I would like to be even more involved. How can I get an invitation to the D.C. meetings? I am starting the development of an Old-Growth Forest Network which meshes perfectly with this initiative. One forest, allowed to mature naturally, in every county of the US where forests can grow. A national network which, like our national parks, will work best with federal government support.
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Yes, and cut nothing over 3 feet in diameter!
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To preserve our outdoors for the future can only be done by using solar energy to the fullest. Solar water heating is a great start. And a National Solar Water Heating No-interest Loan Program will do just that.
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Here is an idea to prevent more pollution than any solar energy program contemplated to date and preserve our outdoors.
National Solar Water Heating No-Interest Loan Program Feb 14, 2011
A National Solar Water Heating No-Interest Loan Program for the specific purpose to purchase a solar water heating system, for any homeowner who wants one, will create more businesses and jobs, save more money and prevent more pollution than any solar energy program contemplated to date.
This idea is profoundly different. It is an investment in the people, which allows them to stimulate the economy from the bottom-up through savings instead of spending. It is no give-away. It is a no-burden loan, of which solar energy incredibly and undeniably more than pays for it all through energy cost savings.
These systems, which heat water for domestic use, work in every climate no matter in which state you may reside. This low-tech use of solar energy will become the ultimate in true distributed energy, because the energy gain is spread across the nation by participation estimated at over 60 million of the 80 million US single family households.
Based on only 5 hours of sun shine per day, the benefits are enormous: create thousands of companies (with product certainty), create hundreds of thousands of jobs (few would go overseas), save homeowner over one-fourth on energy bills ($27 billion each year), offset power consumed by over 15 million homes, offset 123 power plants of 250 mega watts each (allows retiring our oldest plants), lower coal consumption by 137 mega tons (one-eighth US output), save 150 million tons CO2 pollution each year (equivalent to removing 25 million cars), help reduce global warming and reduce the national debt.
Remember, the sun produces heat directly, not electricity. That is why, for the same power gain, solar thermal (heat) panels are 7 times more efficient, cost 10 times less and use 7 times less space than solar photovoltaic (electric) panels. Because of these facts and short pay-back period, solar water heating should be the first solar endeavor any homeowner should undertake.
Providing government incentive money alone to entice homeowners to “go solar” does not work because individuals are left on their own for the up-front money to have a system installed. Most cannot afford it and/or do not realize the benefit. At the same time, it is paramount that participation be high in order for solar energy to have a significant impact. That is why it is extremely important to have a national loan program that provides the means for any homeowner to participate.
To start the process, homeowners would call a 1-800 number or go online to schedule for their solar system installation. The selected contractor applies for building permit, completes the work, and calls for inspection. Once inspection passes, the contractor invoices a federal agency for direct payment. The agency then subtracts any incentive money due the homeowner and treats the remainder as a no-interest loan that gets paid off at a rate of about one-half energy bill savings.
System costs range from about $1,500 to $10,000 depending on size, location and contractor. Maximum loan could be set at $10,000. Payback for any loan amount would be based on 20-year maturity with once a year payment accomplished by a line item entry on federal tax return. No payment would be due until after the first year of loan maturity to ensure homeowner has had a chance to accumulate at least a year of energy savings. A minimum payment would be due to ensure payoff in 20 years. If the home is sold, the loan would be transferred to the new homeowner through the closing process.
Example: A family with water heating cost of $50 per month, contracts for a $5,000 system. After the 30% federal discount, the loan would be $3,500. A savings of about $40 per month ($480 per year) can be expected. After the first year, payback would be about $240 per year for 15 years or $175 per year, if extended by choice to the full 20 year period. In either case, the homeowner would enjoy $480 per year savings in energy bills immediately. Over time, as energy costs inflate, savings will increase by the inflated amount because the free energy to power the solar system is constant.
Solar is the greatest energy source available. We must use it, not by a trickle, but by a flood. In the long run, solar energy is much less expensive than other energies because there are no wide spread underlying negative effects for which we all must pay in money and/or health. Solar energy is absolutely clean, free and already distributed. What more could we ask. Putting this energy to use is more of political will than technical know-how. No futuristic discovery needed here to reap the benefits.
The federal money invested will be returned one for one, because this is a loan, but the stimulus created will produce a return many times over. Our country needs this program now. Any help or ideas to promote this program would be appreciated.
My motivation is only to do something significant to help our country. There is no business venture planned or implied. Please visit https://sites.google.com/site/solarfreeloan/ for copies of this letter and data proofs.
Gordon L. Hansen solargordy@gmail.com
Homeowner and long-time non-business solar energy advocate
Marine Corp Vet 1956 – 1960 Retired, Naval Research Laboratory 1993
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