President Obama was scheduled to announce three new national monuments and a youth initiative this afternoon in Chicago that Outdoor Industry Association hopes will rally public support for the chronically underfunded National Parks System ahead of its centennial next year.
The president was scheduled to make the announcements around 3 pm local time in
Chicago near the 203-acre site of one of the three new national
monuments: the Pullman National Monument. The monument, which will be Chicago's first National Park Service (NPS) unit, will commemorate the
history of labor unrest and civil rights advances surrounding the
formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. The group was the first labor
union led by African Americans to receive a charter from the American
Federation, a predecessor of the AFL-CIO.
The ceremony will be used to kick off the “Every Kid in a Park Initiative,” which will provide fourth grade students and their families with free admission to National Parks and other federal lands and waters for a full year. The administration described the Every Kid in a Park initiative is a call to action to get all children to visit and enjoy America’s unparalleled outdoors.
Outdoor Industry Association, which represents 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers of outdoor recreation apparel, footwear, equipment and services, said it was thrilled by the president’s call to action.
“With resources behind “Every Kid in a Park,” including free admission on federal lands for all fourth graders and their families for the next year, as well as transportation funding to national parks for fourth graders in Title 1 schools, the outdoor industry is eager to support this endeavor,” OIA said in a statement.
“We know that outdoor recreation creates healthy lifestyles, thriving communities and a strong economy, but for those of us in the outdoor industry, it is also a business imperative,” said Steve Barker, Interim Executive Director of OIA and founder of the Eagle Creek adventure travel brand now owned by VF Corp. “We accept the president’s challenge to help future generations flourish by getting every fourth grader outside in celebration of the Centennial. I personally helped establish a conservancy in California that helps 500 fourth-graders annually to discover science through outdoor activity. From the Escondido Creek Conservancy in San Diego to Fortune 500 companies in the outdoor industry, we applaud the president for making our children’s interaction with the outdoors a national priority.”
Obama was also expected to announce that he will designate Honouliuli National Monument in Hawaii, the site of an internment camp where Japanese American citizens, resident immigrants, and prisoners of war were held captive during World War II, and Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado, an historic site of extraordinary beauty with world-class recreational opportunities that attract visitors from around the globe.
“Browns Canyon is among the most popular whitewater rafting destinations in the United States,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance, which was formed by outdoor companies to support grassroots organizations that protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. “With this proclamation, President Obama continues his legacy of protecting special wild places with designations that enjoy strong local support.”
The Conservation Alliance worked with grantees such as the Conservation Lands Foundation, Conservation Colorado, and American Whitewater and local stakeholders to secure the designation.
“Browns Canyon is among the most popular whitewater rafting destinations in the United States,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “With this proclamation, President Obama continues his legacy of protecting special wild places with designations that enjoy strong local support.”
The Alliance said Obama's proclamation honors the spirit of legislation introduced last year by former Colorado Senator Mark Udall that called for designating Browns Canyon as a National Monument. The legislation, which was based on input gathered from local residents, paddlers, ranchers, and businesses over a period of several years, specified that paddling on the Arkansas would continue to be managed by the Colorado State Parks as it is today.
“We thank President Obama for recognizing this special place, and protecting Browns Canyon forever,” said Sterling.
Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $14 million to grassroots conservation groups. Alliance funding has helped save more than 44 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,825 miles of rivers; stop or remove 26 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase nine climbing areas.
