IB 2002-137, Availability and Use of the Toolbox for the Great Outdoors

To: All State Directors
      Attn: NLCS Units
      State Recreation Leads

From: Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning
          Director, National Landscape Conservation System

Subject: Availability and Use of the Toolbox for the Great Outdoors

In partnership with the American Recreation Coalition (ARC), we are delighted to provide you with the brand-new Toolbox For The Great Outdoors, an innovative technique to understand the opportunities to dramatically enhance the resources available to produce great and appropriate visits to "America's Great Outdoors." This first edition of the Toolbox contains 19 tools to leverage and supplement Federal appropriations - an essential response to growing and diversifying the demand for quality travel, tourism, and recreation experiences. The CD-Rom of the Toolbox for the Great Outdoors was developed by the American Recreation Coalition, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the USDA Forest Service, the Federal cosponsors of Partners Outdoors XI, held in Henderson, Nevada, in January 2002.

The brief overview segments are followed by detailed explanations, examples of uses of each tool at Federal recreation sites, strategies for leveraging financial resources and staffing, links to web sites and other data sources, and contacts for further information. Special messages from the leaders of six key Federal agencies - including BLM Director Kathleen Clarke - about the Toolbox and about the vital role of partnerships are showcased on this interactive CD-ROM. The highlighted tools include:

TRANSPORTATION-RELATED TOOLS

• -Scenic Byways
• -Recreational Trails Program
• -Transportation Enhancements
• -Intelligent Transportation Systems
• -Cooperation with Department of Defense and National Guard Units

WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES PROGRAMS

• -Sportfish Restoration Account (Wallop-Breaux Fund)
• -Federal Aid for Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson)

VOLUNTEERS, FEES, AND PARTNER RECEIPTS

• -National Recreation Fee Demonstration Program
• -Volunteers
• -Funding: Congressional Chartered and Federally-Aided National Foundations
• -Friend raising: Use of National and Local Foundations
• -Judicial Sentencing of Non-Violet Offenders, Use of Fines and Penalties
• -State OHV Programs (Winter Parking Permits)
• -Challenge Cost Share Agreements for Recreation and Wildlife
• -PPV - Private Investments in Recreation Facilities
• -Shared Use Facilities

RECREATION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

• -Land and Water Conservation Fund
• -Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
• -Land Exchange and Sales

The Toolbox for the Great Outdoors, available on an interactive CD, may be used by virtually all personal computers, as well as operated in an enhanced mode while connected to the Internet. The Toolbox allows users to directly access tools of interest, queries users about needs, and/or recommends appropriate tools for consideration.

For additional copies and/or information about this wonderful tool, please contact Michelle Dawson-Powell, WO 200/170, Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street, N.W., Suite 301, Washington, D.C. 20240; 202-452-5134, 202-653-2154.

This document was prepared by Wild Wilderness. To learn more about ongoing industry-backed congressional efforts to motorize, commercialize, and privatize America's public lands, contact:

Scott Silver, Executive Director,
248 NW Wilmington Avenue,  Bend  OR 97701
Phone (541) 385-5261    E-mail: ssilver@wildwilderness.org