AMERICA'S GREAT OUTDOORS: Salazar Urges Americans to Celebrate Earth Day at Parks, Refuges, and Other Public Lands

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today encouraged Americans to celebrate the 41st Earth Day by visiting national parks, national wildlife refuges, or other public lands.

“One of the goals of both Earth Day and President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative is to connect people to the beauty and richness of this planet and encourage a conservation ethic that will ensure that we protect this precious inheritance for our children to enjoy,” Salazar said. “What better way to do this than to make it easier for people to visit our national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands.”

Salazar noted that the department is waiving all admission fees at the 394 units of the National Park System during National Park Week, which runs through April 24.

Many national park concessions will also offer discounts on fee free days, saving visitors money on food, lodging, tours, and souvenirs. More information is available at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

The department is also waiving admission fees at national parks, all 553 national wildlife refuges and the 245 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management on the first day of summer (June 21), National Public Lands Day (September 24), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 11-13).

Getting people out into nature is a key objective of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative to work with communities and other partners across the country to establish a 21st Century conservation ethic and reconnect Americans to the natural world, Salazar said.

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