U.S. Department of the Interior

Media Advisory

SNEAK PREVIEW OF www.recreation.gov SITE
TO SPOTLIGHT AMERICA'S TREASURES

WASHINGTON, DC - Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Scott Cameron and Charlie Grymes, Project Manager of http://www.recreation.gov, will join Mark Forman, Office of Management and Budget Associate Director for Information Technology and E-Government, in previewing a re-launch of the website as an example of innovation in e-government tomorrow. Automobile Association of America (AAA) Federal Relations Director Helen Sramek, American Recreation Coalition President Derrick Crandall, and Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary David Tenny are among the participants in the preview. This portal provides easy access to information about recreation on all federal lands, including some 1,900 federal recreation sites managed by eight bureaus from four cabinet departments. As one of the President's E-Government Initiatives aimed at improving citizens' relationship with government, http://www.recreation.gov has been revamped for greater functionality and a new look and feel.

"This preview allows us to get insights about whether we've answered the mail on what our users want," said Forman, "The new features represent major improvements in government use of the web to open up access to our parks. For Americans seeking to explore their country to tourists planning to visit America, this site provides quick, comprehensive information about how to experience our national treasures."

                    WHO: Mark Forman, OMB Associate Director; Scott Cameron, Interior Deputy Assistant          
                              Secretary; David Tenny, Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary

                    WHAT: *Preview demonstration of www.recreation.gov

                    WHERE: AAA Conference Room, Suite 200, 1440 NY Ave, NW, Washington, DC

                    WHEN: Tuesday, September 17, 2002, 2 to 3 p.m.

                    CONTACT: Lisa-Joy Zgorski, [email protected], 202/395-0371

*Recreation.gov will officially launch on National Public Lands Day, September 28, 2002.

The Department of the Interior is the managing partner of the website. The partners involved in the site's development include Interior Department agencies -- the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey - as well as other agencies including the Federal Highway Administration, Forest Service, Smithsonian Institution, Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

E-Government is an integral part of the President's Management Agenda to make it easier for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars and streamline citizen-to government interactions.

-DOI-

U.S. Department of the Interior