America’s great outdoors … what parts of it do you think should be preserved for future generations? What should our conservation priorities be for the 21st century?  

Those are questions at the heart of President Obama’s conservation initiative, called America’s Great Outdoors. The Obama administration has been collecting comments from Americans across the country this summer on this very topic, and we need to ensure that our president hears resoundingly that protecting, connecting and restoring our public lands should be at the heart of America’s Great Outdoors.

We only have until September 30th to make sure the Obama administration hears how we feel about conservation before it releases a White House report that could set the stage for America’s conservation agenda for years to come.

Wilderness supporters across the nation are speaking out for protection of special places, like Otero Mesa in New Mexico, San Gabriel Mountains in California, and the North Cascades in Washington. We’ve pushed for new wilderness protections in Tennessee, West Virginia, and Maine.  

Our public lands belong to all Americans and provide us with clean drinking water, healthy air, and an opportunity to experience wildlife and nature. America’s Great Outdoors is about making natural places – from city parks to big wilderness areas – a part of our natural heritage.

It is also about better connecting people – especially young people – to nature. And it is about connecting people to each other, following the principle that the best results occur when people work together to achieve shared conservation goals.

We have an historic opportunity to transform conservation for the 21st century, and leave a natural heritage legacy that future generations can enjoy.  

Please take action before September 30th and tell President Obama to make wilderness, new parks and monuments, and restoration of wetlands and wildlife habitat the cornerstone of his vision for America’s Great Outdoors.