Great Outdoors Month

Proclamation
By the Governor of Alabama
WHEREAS, Alabama is blessed with outstanding opportunities for safe and healthy fun in the great outdoors. We enjoy our natural splendors in the company of family and in the company of old and new friends; and
WHEREAS, our kids today spend an average of 10 hours a day in front of a screen and outdoor activity is touted by many leading health organizations as a remedy for the adverse effects of inactivity; and
WHEREAS, diverse Great Outdoors Month events, including National Trails Day, National Get Outdoors Day, the Great Outdoors Day of Service, the Great American Campout, Kids to Parks Day and more, help connect citizens of all ages to healthy fun outdoors; and
WHEREAS, other events during Great Outdoors Month, such as National Fishing and Boating Week, National Marina Day and Get Into Your Sanctuary Days, provide all of us, especially our children, with exciting opportunities for recreation on the great waters of our state; and
WHEREAS, the economic impact of outdoor recreation is both large and growing nationally, exceeding $650 billion in annual expenditures, and in our state, it is estimated at $10.89 billion and supports some 135,000 jobs; and
WHEREAS, from the beaches of the Gulf Coast to the trails of the Appalachian foothills, Alabama’s 22 state parks, seven national park units, four national forests and more, reflect every facet of the state’s rich natural and cultural heritage; and
WHEREAS, enjoyment of our Great Outdoors allows us to celebrate the commitment of our state to conserve and protect our air, our water, our wildlife and our lands and contribute to conservation efforts through various licenses, taxes and fees; and
WHEREAS, Great Outdoors Month allows us to celebrate the partnership of federal, state and local agencies, the recreation and tourism industries and recreationists. This makes outdoor recreation opportunities available, and adds new and needed features, such as improved trails through the Recreational Trails Program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim June 2017, as
Great Outdoors Month
in the State of Alabama.
Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 1st day of June 2017.
Kay Ivey
Governor