History of the Outdoor Resources Review Group

The Outdoor Resources Review Group is a private, bipartisan group of leaders undertaking a review of land conservation, outdoor recreation, and related issues to assess the needs and preferences of the American public and the resources available to meet those needs. Its goal is to assure that these issues, essential to the health of our people and our economy and to the quality of life in America, are not overlooked amid the pressing list of challenges facing the country.

Senators Jeff Bingaman and Lamar Alexander serve as honorary co-chairs. Funding is from private philanthropy. Resources for the Future, an independent, nonprofit research organization, is providing a background assessment of the field and peoples the group. The National Geographic Society and The Conservation Fund are partners in the effort.

The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission (ORRRC) of 1962 and the President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors (PCAO) in 1987 have had a major impact on America’s resolve to conserve and protect our outdoor heritage and have been influential in raising the priority for parks, refuges, and open space at federal, state and local levels. The accomplishments of these commissions range from establishing the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation to championing a national system of greenways and wildlife corridors by igniting a “prairie fire” of local action.

In the tradition of these two commissions, the Outdoor Resources Review Group is pursuing results to-date in conserving our outdoor heritage and exploring the potential for new programs and initiatives for the 21st century. This review is giving particular attention to emerging concerns such as health, children and the outdoors, and climate change. The important role of private land conservation is being reviewed, and funding issues at the federal, state, and local level are being researched. Opportunities for coordinated policy efforts with related programs in agriculture, transportation, and health are being considered. The promising role of new technology in cost-effective conservation planning and management also is an important part of the study.