Secretary Salazar Promotes Outdoor Recreation as Boost to Economic Engine

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Official portrait of Secretary of the Interior...
Official portrait of Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Secretary Salazar to Kick-Off Four State Swing to Highlight Conservation
and Outdoor Recreation as Economic Engines for Local Communities
Will Discuss America’s Great Outdoors Initiatives to Boost Tourism and
Fuel Local Economies

WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will
travel to four Midwestern states to highlight America’s Great Outdoors
(AGO) initiatives to enhance conservation efforts, foster outdoor
recreation opportunities, create jobs, and fuel local economies.
Outdoor recreation is an important factor in the nation's economy,
supporting an estimated 6.1 million direct American jobs and generating
$646 billion in direct consumer spending each year.

On Wednesday, August 15, Secretary Salazar will visit Milwaukee, WI, to
meet with stakeholders to discuss the Administration’s conservation
accomplishments and efforts to boost outdoor recreation. The Secretary
will provide updates on the two Wisconsin AGO projects: Lake Michigan
Water Trail and Ice Age Trail. Following the meeting, Secretary Salazar
will hold a press conference to unveil the results of a comprehensive
national survey on hunting, fishing, and wildlife-associated recreation
over the last five years. Later in the day, Secretary Salazar will join
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin to make an announcement regarding the proposed
Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), which is part of the AGO
initiative. The 11,200 acre refuge will span both Illinois and Wisconsin
and will be established primarily through conservation easements,
donations, and cooperative agreements.

On Thursday, August 16, accompanied by Senator Durbin and local leaders in
Chicago, Secretary Salazar will announce new partnerships and commitments
to the Millennium Reserve and a suite of projects to implement the AGO
initiative in the Calumet Region. Secretary Salazar and Senator Durbin
will travel to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to tour the Paul H.
Douglas Center for Environmental Education.

On Friday, August 17, Secretary Salazar will join Minnesota Governor Mark
Dayton on a boat tour of the Mississippi National River & Recreation Area
before meeting with AGO stakeholders and then deliver a speech and host a
town hall at the University of Minnesota, where he will discuss the
potential impacts of unbalanced cuts to conservation, tourism, and the
outdoor economy.

WEDNESDAY EVENT #1—Conservation Stakeholder Meeting
WHO:              Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
                         Conservation leaders
WHAT:            Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Stakeholder Meeting
WHEN:           Wednesday, August 15, 2012
                         10:00 a.m. CDT

WHERE:         Urban Ecology Center
                         1500 East Park Place
                         Milwaukee, Wisconsin

WEDNESDAY EVENT #2—Press Conference / Press Conference Call
WHO:              Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
                         Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service
WHAT:            Press Conference to Unveil National Hunting & Fishing
Survey
WHEN:           Wednesday, August 15, 2012
                         11:30 a.m. CDT

WHERE:        Urban Ecology Center
                        1500 East Park Place
                          Milwaukee, Wisconsin

MEDIA:         Members of the credential media are invited to participate
in the press conference call by dialing 1-888-810-5908 and entering access
code: INTERIOR.

WEDNESDAY EVENT #3—Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge Visit
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
                        Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator

WHAT:           Announcement on the Proposed National Hackmatack National
Wildlife Refuge
WHEN:          Wednesday, August 15, 2012
                        4:15 p.m. CDT

WHERE:       Glacial Park - Lost Valley Visitor Center
Route 31 & Harts Road
Ringwood, IL

THURSDAY EVENT #1—Millennium Reserve Press Conference
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
 Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator
 Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
 Marc Miller, Director of Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Arnold Randall, General Superintendent of the Forest Preserve District of
Cook County
Chicago Area Conservation Organizations

WHAT:            Press Conference to Announce Millennium Reserve Projects
WHEN:           Thursday, August 16, 2012
                        10:00 a.m. CDT
WHERE:        Burnham Wildlife Corridor Plaza
3100 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL

THURSDAY EVENT #2—Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Site Visit
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
                        Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator
WHAT:           Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Site Visit and Tour
WHEN:          Thursday, August 16, 2012
                        12:00 p.m. CDT
WHERE:       Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
                        Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
100 North Lake Street
Gary, IN
FRIDAY EVENT #1—Mississippi National River and Recreation Area AGO Project
Boat Tour
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
                        Mark Dayton, Governor of Minnesota
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources
WHAT:           Boat Tour of the Mississippi National River and Recreation
Area
WHEN:          Friday, August 17, 2012
                        8:00 a.m. CDT
WHERE:        St. Paul Yacht Club
375 Water Street West
Saint Paul, MN

MEDIA:         Credentialed media interested in attending the boat tour
must RSVP to Queen Muse (queen_muse@ios.doi.gov) no later than 5:00 p.m.
EDT on August 16 in order to secure space on the boat.

FRIDAY EVENT #2—Media Availability
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Mark Dayton, Governor of Minnesota
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources

WHAT:           Media Availability on the Mississippi National River and
Recreation Area AGO Project
WHEN:          Friday, August 17, 2012
                        9:15 a.m. CDT
WHERE:        St. Paul Yacht Club
375 Water Street West
Saint Paul, MN

FRIDAY EVENT #3—AGO Stakeholder Meeting
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
                        Mark Dayton, Governor of Minnesota
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources
WHAT:           Stakeholder Meeting to Discuss Minnesota AGO Projects
WHEN:          Friday, August 17, 2012
                        9:30 a.m. CDT
WHERE:        St. Paul Yacht Club
375 Water Street West
Saint Paul, MN

FRIDAY EVENT #4—AGO / Conservation Town Hall
WHO:             Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

WHAT:           Speech and Conservation Town Hall
WHEN:          Friday, August 17, 2012
                       11:00 a.m. CDT
WHERE:       University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
                        Humphrey School of Public Affairs
                       Cowles Auditorium
                       301 19th Avenue South
                       Minneapolis, MN

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