Metro Council President David Bragdon is heading to Washington, D.C. for the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors. Bragdon received an invitation to take part in the Friday, April 16 conference, which will address challenges, opportunities and innovations surrounding the conservation of lands throughout the nation and here in the Pacific Northwest.
"America's outdoors are part of our national identity. They are the farms, ranches and forests that we take great pride in, and the neighborhood parks, trails and fields where we spend memorable time with our families and friends," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "Too many of these places are disappearing. In launching this conversation, we strive to learn about the smart, creative community efforts underway throughout the country to conserve our outdoor spaces, and hear how we can support these efforts."
Metro and its partners in the region have been leaders in protecting valuable natural areas. In 2006, Metro passed a $227.4 million bond measure to assure the ongoing purchase of land for parks and natural spaces throughout the region. The funds generated from that measure and those from a prior one have allowed Metro to preserve and restore more than 10,000 acres of forests, rare woodlands, stream corridors, wetlands and prairies.
In recent years, Metro and dozens of public agencies, private companies and nonprofit organizations have joined together in a coalition to create more opportunities for residents to connect with nature. The coalition has named the region's network of parks, trails and natural areas "The Intertwine" as a way to describe and promote these assets as an integrated system. The White House conference will center on similar opportunities and innovative solutions for communities looking to rehabilitate and conserve open spaces.
Bragdon was invited to be a part of the conference by Sutley, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
"The Portland region's innovative efforts to build and protect "The Intertwine," the region's network of parks, trails and natural areas, have gained the notice and respect of our nation's leadership," said Bragdon. "This conference represents the next level of federal commitment to our cause. The result will be more opportunities to be active and enjoy nature and to protect precious urban streams and habitat."
The conference brings together 500 participants from across the country to discuss with and learn from each other, identify challenges and opportunities, engage the federal government's support and reinvigorate the conversation about protecting the outdoors.
"There is no doubt that we face serious challenges to our natural resources: climate change, air and water pollution, a lost connection between some Americans and the outdoors, and a fragmentation and loss of open space," said Vilsack. "We believe that the best way to answer these challenges is to work with landowners, conservation groups, sportsmen and women, local communities, and state and local governments to conserve America's great outdoors, and in doing so, reconnect Americans to our forests, working lands and public lands."