WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, Sept. 3, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. She will be joined by Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dan Ashe, Congressmen Rodney Frelinghuysen, Rush Holt and Leonard Lance, President of The Wilderness Society Jamie Williams, Vice President at the Student Conservation Association Laura Herrin and community leaders.
Jewell will also commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, which directs that a small portion of revenues from federal offshore oil and gas leasing be used to support parks, boat ramps, bike trails and other recreational facilities, conservation projects and historic preservation across the nation.
The two laws, signed by President Johnson at the same Rose Garden ceremony on Sept. 3, 1964, transformed conservation and outdoor recreation in America, to date protecting more than 109 million acres of pristine landscapes and enabling federal, state and local agencies to undertake more than 40,000 recreation and conservation projects in communities across the country.
Jewell recently toured the nation to highlight the need for Congress to pass President Obama's budget proposal to reauthorize and permanently fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund at its $900 million authorized level, which has only happened once in its history.
Following Wednesday's ceremony, Jewell will participate in a service project in the refuge with the Student Conservation Association.
This event will be live streamed at http://www.livestream.com/wilderness50 beginning at 11 a.m. EST for those who are interested in viewing the event but unable to attend.
WHO:
Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Dan Ashe, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Rush Holt, U.S. Congressman
Rodney Frelinghuysen, U.S. Congressman
Leonard Lance, U.S. Congressman
Jamie Williams, President, The Wilderness Society
Laura Herrin, Vice President, Partnership Development at Student Conservation Association
WHAT:
Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act
WHEN:
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014
11 a.m. EST Ceremony begins
12 p.m. EST Service project begins - opportunity for b-roll
WHERE:
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
32 Pleasant Plains Road
Harding Township, NJ 07920
RSVP:
Credentialed members of the media interested in covering the event are encouraged to RSVP HERE by Sept. 2, 2014, at 6 p.m. EST
Source: Department of Interior
