Choose Outdoors Make Progress with Senate Outdoor Recreation Caucus
Choose Outdoors Making Progress in DC Ten Senators now supporting Outdoor Recreation Caucus; Work begins to establish House Caucus
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Bruce Ward and Craig Mackey, President and Vice President of nonprofit Choose Outdoors, Inc. recently returned from Washington, DC promoting collaboration in the recreation community and a unified voice for outdoor recreation.
They succeeded in establishing a Senate Outdoor Recreation Caucus by working with Sens. Mark Udall (D-CO) and James Risch (R-ID). Ten Senators have joined the caucus – demonstrating both bipartisan support and solid geographic diversity. A strategy was set to pursue additional members. Current members of the caucus focused on educating members on key issues related to outdoor recreation include:
Sen. Udall Sen. Risch Sen. Wyden (D-OR) Sen. Baucus (D-MT)
Sen. Bennet (D-CO) Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN) Sen. Isakson (R-GA), Sen. Warner (D-VA), Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK).
In addition they met with Colorado Representatives Ed Perlmutter, Jared Polis and John Salazar about the formation of a House version of the caucus.
Ward and Mackey also met with Will Shafroth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks at DOI, and Bob Stanton, former director of the NPS to discuss efforts to get youth outdoors. They briefed the members of the Obama administration on an innovative program created by the Rotary Club of Conifer, “Into the Wild” working with inner city youth and Interact and Rotaract members.
