Salazar Announces Fee Free Days in Celebration Of America's Great Outdoors and Earth Day

WASHINGTON – To mark the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and to celebrate the launch of the Obama Administration's America's Great Outdoors initiative, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced a schedule of free admission days to many of the lands managed by Interior.

All national parks, national wildlife refuges, and many areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management will offer free admission on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day). These dates are in addition to the previously announced free admission at all 392 national parks April 17-25 as part of the celebration of National Park Week.

“President Obama has made connecting Americans to the outdoors and our history a fundamental goal of the conservation initiative announced at Friday's White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors,” said Salazar. “The Interior Department was proud to host that conference and will be even prouder to host Americans who want to get outdoors to visit their public lands.”

America's public lands offer opportunities to engage in healthy, outdoor activities, whether for a few hours or a few days. More details about fee free days and activities are available for:
• National parks at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm
• National wildlife refuges at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/
• Bureau of Land Management areas at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/BLM_Fee_Free_Days.html
“What better way to celebrate this Earth Day than to make it easier for all Americans to experience the breathtaking landscapes, amazing creatures, and the stories that make up our shared heritage,” added Salazar. “By getting outdoors, we remind ourselves of our blessings and of the responsibility we all have to pass these lands on to our children and our grandchildren.”