April 23, 2010
Overview and Info on White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors
The HQ staff will be working on some recommendations to Mike Ensch and the Deputy Assistance Secretary of the Army Civil works, Mr. Rock Salt, on how the Corps can participate in this initiative. We are doing a great many of the things that many talked about, especially involving communities and partners in our management and activities at projects. We will look to see what we are currently doing which we can put under this tent and what else might we do to further the initiative.

Mr. Salt may participate in one or more listening session--I hope so. He is quite engaged with this. ASA(CW) Ms. Darcy was also at the event and stood on the stage with the President with other Secretary, Asst Secretary level officials. The head of the CEQ also noted that the Corps is the largest federal recreation provider (Ms Darcy provided that to CEQ) in her opening speech. At the end of the morning's session, Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar repeat this, but took some issue of it and said he needed to look this up! We know the ASA's office will ask for verification, so Dick Kasul is working on the explanation now. It is really good that DOD/Corps is recognized as a partner in this endeavor.

I've also included the President's speech and the Memorandum which lays out the expectations and direction for the Initiative. All in all, I know that we will play a role here at the national level. We will involve all of you at some point when we have more information about how this is all going to roll out and when we've developed more direction from ASA(CW)'s office. We've not yet worked out linkages to the Long-Term Recreation Strategic Plan, but we'll be looking to do that as well.