|
March 14, 2007
Forest Service wants youths to go outdoors
By Emanuel Parker Staff Writer
ARCADIA - If you're in elementary, middle or high school, the United States Forest Service wants you.
That's the upshot of a U.S. Forest Service Recreation Forum held Monday
at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, one
of six forums being held across the nation this month and next.
The Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation and the American
Recreation Coalition are supporting a grant program called "More Kids
in the Woods," aimed at increasing the number of youths using the
outdoors and taking part in nature-based activities.
Jody Noiron, forest supervisor for the Angeles National Forest, said
the ANF, Los Padres, Cleveland and San Bernardino national forests are
all submitting proposals to get federal grant money to start
kids-in-the-woods programs.
"So what the future is going to hold in terms of that specific grant program, I don't know," she said.
"Because it's a competitive thing and the proposals go back to
Washington, D.C., and they're evaluated, and a decision is made on
which proposals to fund. The pot is $50,000 and we expect a decision by
June."
Russ Guiney, director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks
and Recreation, said winning a grant would mean more information
available about the program and more kids able to attend it.
Joshua Acevedo, 19, of La Puente, who attends Pasadena City College,
and Jake Salzarulo, 18, of Castaic, said they think "More Kids in the
Woods" is a good idea. They attended the forum and were part of a youth
panel that discussed the program.
"It's a great idea to get kids outdoors," Acevedo said. "It's a great
chance for kids to ... explore the world and the different qualities
nature has to offer."
But not everyone things "More Kids in the Woods" is a good idea.
Robert and Sonja Bartsch of Pasadena, longtime fighters against the
fee-based Adventure Passes, said the program is the work of what they
term "the American recreation industry," which they say wants to
"indoctrinate young people as new customers on our public lands.
"Insidiously since the early 1990s recreation corporations have pushed
for more fees and more partnerships with government agencies so they
can take over the National Forest camp grounds and develop commercial
offerings on our public land," the couple wrote in a letter this week.
|
