2006 Great Outdoors Week

On May 23, 2006, President George W. Bush issued a proclamation declaring June 2006 as “Great Outdoors Month.” This is the third year the President has made such a proclamation. As part of Great Outdoors Month, the American Recreation Coalition (ARC), a Washington-based nonprofit group that seeks to forge public/private partnerships to enhance and protect outdoor recreation, hosted its annual Great Outdoors Week 2006 from June 12 -17. The American Horse Council is an active member of ARC.

The purpose of the week, according to the Coalition was to “highlight efforts underway to enhance outdoor recreation for all Americans in the 21st century.” Specific topics addressed throughout the week included: “volunteerism, public-private partnerships, improving health through recreation, ensuring strong recreational trails and scenic byways programs, and an internet-based Toolbox for the Great Outdoors.”

AHC staff attended and participated in several of the events throughout the week, representing the industry’s shared interests with the recreation community regarding access to public lands and other issues. Highlights from the week included presentations by Ms. Fran Mainella, Director of the National Park Service; Congressman Steve Pearce (R-New Mexico), Chairman of the House Resource Committee Subcommittee on National Parks; The Honorable Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Jim Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality