Yesterday, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) called upon the Obama Administration to look to Asheville and Western North Carolina as a model of effective and innovative conservation efforts. In letters to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Shuler requested that Asheville be chosen to host one of the “listening sessions” that are being scheduled across the country as part of the White House’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The request was also sent to Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
On April 16th, President Obama announced the listening sessions as a part of "America's Great Outdoors" initiative. The listening sessions are designed to solicit ideas about land conservation and how the outdoors can drive economic growth and job creation. The initiative is headed up by the Environmental Protection Agency, the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the departments of Agriculture and Interior.
“With its abundant outdoor spaces, a host of successful conservation initiatives, and the involvement of the public and all levels of government, Asheville would provide tremendous insight to the Administration as it plans the President’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative,” said Shuler in his letter.
Shuler’s request pointed to the natural bounty of the region, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country; the Blue Ridge Parkway, America’s most visited National Park Service unit; two of the most frequented national forests, the Pisgah and the Nantahala; and the national treasure of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reservation. His letter praised numerous local land conservation organizations, as well as the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, the American Whitewater Association, and the Muddy Sneakers program to incorporate outdoors education with classroom learning.
Remarking on his request, Rep. Shuler said, “There is no question in my mind that if the Administration is looking for a model of a community that works together to protect its natural resources while harnessing the power of the American outdoors to create jobs and fuel the local economy, they could not find a better place than Western North Carolina. Our mountain community has learned numerous lessons in recent years about protecting our land and leveraging it for economic benefit. I am confident that other communities across the country can learn and benefit from our progress and innovation.”
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