America’s Great Outdoors presidential initiative kicked off in April as a partnership of federal agencies; its representatives are traveling around the country for “Public Listening Sessions” with the latest held yesterday afternoon at Occidental College. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was on hand to tout LA’s commitment to the outdoors and especially to the Los Angeles River Revitalization project.
During the visit to LA, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson declared the LA River ‘traditional navigable waters’, making it eligible for Clean Water Act protections.
Thorne Hall was filled to capacity (792 seats) for the listening session July 8, and the crowd waited patiently while host Oxy President Jonathan Veitch, Villaraigosa, visiting federal dignitaries, and an assembled panel discussed the initiative and its regional impact. Jackson said a streaming video would be available later (no sessions are available through the site as of now).
Notes from the presentations:
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:
EPA considers this mission as expanding the country’s idea of the great outdoors, especially in urban areas.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar:
This initiative is the start of putting together a conservation agenda for the 21st century. Revitalizing, recognizing, and expanding the great urban parks of America are goals of this new conservation agenda.
With respect to the April 20 Deepwater Horizon spill: “Be resolute and confidant that there will be a solution, a restoration of the Gulf Coast, and this will be a catalyst for a new conservation agenda for the country.”
With respect to U.S. waterways and the LA River: “Until now, we’ve turned our backs to our rivers; now we are turning our faces back and working to make our rivers become hubs for the great cities of America.”
Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality:
Solutions to our conservation challenges – pollution, growing population, climate change, development – have to begin with communities. “We are interested in hearing from you how the federal government can help, or how it can get out of your way.”
Harris Sherman, Undersecretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture:
Private land comprises 2/3s of the United States, and is more threatened by development and fragmentation. The country relies on private lands, including agricultural land, for open space, watershed, and wildlife corridors.
Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works):
Since Congress directed in 1998, all Army Corps of Engineers projects have to have a local sponsor. One of the Army Corps of Engineers main responsibilities is keeping rivers navigable.
Follow this link to today’s SCPR feature on EPA’s LA River announcement.