Choose Outdoors Initiatives

• Coalition Building
  

  Choose Outdoors is a national, nonprofit designed to unify the outdoor recreation community. Under this initiative, programs will be developed to bring together a spectrum of recreation interests to increase cooperation and to work towards reconnecting the American people to the land and each other through nature based, active, outdoor recreation.
  
  

  Potential partners include

• Trade Associations
  • Outdoor Industry Association
  • National Ski Areas Association
  • America Outdoors
  • Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
  • Bike industry
  • Ski industry
  • Paddle Sports/Whitewater Industry
  • Hunting and Fishing Industry
  • OHV Industry
  • Boating Industry

  
  
  

  Nonprofit/grassroots organizations
  • Trail organizations
  • Youth organizations
  • Equestrian organizations
  • Sportsmen's groups
  • Climbing groups
  
  Corporate Sponsors
  • Outdoor industry
  • Ski industry
  • Guides and outfitters
  • Hunting and fishing industries
  • Health industry
  • Other recreation industries
  • Businesses interested in outdoor recreation
  
  

  Public Sector Partners
  • Federal and state land management agencies
  • National Forest Foundation
  • National Park Foundation
  
  

  Priorities and Concepts

• Our first effort, to provide key members of the land management agencies and administration with our priorities and concepts for the incoming administration has set the stage for our future work. See Recommendations to our President.
  
  Future Initiatives May Include
  • Build upon or within the AmeriCorps model to create a National Sustainability Corps to provide   leadership, engage our youth, and spearhead volunteer activities related to public lands,   recreation infrastructure, wildlife and aquatic habitats. A new initiative will provide training and   jobs, tap the rapidly expanding base of Americans volunteering on public lands, and engage   our youth in the outdoors.
  • Revitalize the Recreation program managed by the U.S. Forest Service with the overarching   goal of establishing Recreation as one of the priority programs managed by the agency.
  • Work with policymakers to ensure that wild fire suppression costs are managed in a way so
    that they no longer negatively impact other fundamental missions of the Forest Service, other   federal and state agencies.
  • Recognize the vast recreation, wildlife and habitat potential of Bureau of Land Management   resources and the National Landscape Conservation System.
  • Reinforce the Bureau of Land Management's Multiple Use mandate to reflect the economic   contributions and benefits from hunting, fishing and recreation constituencies.
  • Invest in wildlife, partner with state agencies, and build on the success of the federal programs   funding wildlife plans, conservation, wildlife and fish habitats.
  • Increase reasonable efforts to address climate change and its impacts on recreation, winter   recreation and wildlife habitat.
  • Increase investment in close-to-home recreation through the success of Stateside Land and   Water Conservation and Urban Park and Recreation Recovery programs.
  • Revive the LWCF framework in future energy and offshore drilling negotiations to dedicate   funding streams [severance, mitigation] for public lands, wildlife habitat, and recreation   infrastructure.
  • Promote the appropriate use and local reinvestment of existing recreation fees to benefit   recreation and allow for quality visitor services.
  • Seek second-year funding of the National Park Service Centennial Challenge. Work with the   National Park Service to actively support projects related to active, outdoor recreation in the full   spectrum of NPS units.
  • Support/reauthorize recreation components of the Transportation bill, including the   Recreational Trails Program, the Federal Lands Highway Program, and the Transportation   Enhancement Program -- all provide critical funding for recreation infrastructure.
  • Support the recreation missions and capacities of the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of   Reclamation, and Tennessee Valley Authority, focusing on the national network of water-based   recreation provided by these agencies.