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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2009

Contact: Kristina Johnson, 541-914-9744

       Sierra Club Applauds Interior Dept. for Getting Kids Outside
         Salazar Establishes Office of Youth in Natural Resources

Washington, D.C.-Today, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced his agency
will establish a new office dedicated to getting youth outdoors.

Salazar, joined by White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett and hundreds of
children, signed a Secretarial Order to officially establish an Office of
Youth at the Department of Interior. The announcement followed a youth
fishing event at Constitution Gardens on the National Mall.

"Salazar's announcement signals a firm commitment by the new administration
to get youth back outdoors," says Carl Pope, Executive Director of the
Sierra Club. "A modern Youth Conservation Corps will create new
opportunities for underserved youth to explore and protect their public
lands and will instill in them a lifelong affinity for the outdoors."

The creation of an Office of Youth is the first step toward fulfilling
Salazar's vision of establishing a 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps.
The 21st Century YCC will be modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps
of the 1930s. The new Corps will encourage participation from women and
minority populations.

"The next generation of would-be outdoor enthusiasts is growing up watching
television and playing video games instead of climbing trees, fishing
streams, and skipping stones," says Sierra Club National Youth Director,
Martin LeBlanc. "Secretary Salazar's message was clear. Children benefit
from regular contact with the natural world. The new Office of Youth will
improve the lives of youth across the nation while preparing a new diverse
and dedicated generation of public lands employees and enthusiasts."

The Office of Youth in Natural Resources will be led by Bob Stanton, the
new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Management and Budget. For more
information, go to: http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/060809a.html

For more information about Sierra Club's efforts to get kids outside, go
to: http://www.sierraclub.org/youth/

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