Ivan Chan
ichan@neefusa.org
(202) 261-6481
(BLACK PR WIRE) – WASHINGTON – December 9, 2011 – U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and the nonprofit National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) will join officials from Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. in Baltimore, MD on Monday, December 12 to announce funding from Toyota for capacity-building grants for community-based organizations supporting parks and other public lands. This public-private partnership, part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, comes at a time when public lands are in need of financial and volunteer support amid tight budgets at the federal, state and local levels. Following the announcement, students will participate in an educational tour of Fort McHenry along with the Friends of Fort McHenry group, which organizes educational programming for Baltimore city schools, living history activities and interpretive exhibits at the fort.
WHO: Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, U.S. EPA
Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Diane Wood, President, National Environmental Education Foundation
JL Armstrong, National Manager, Corporate Affairs, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
and other officials & distinguished guests
WHAT: Remarks and media availability, followed by a reception and educational tour
of Fort McHenry
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. EST
WHERE: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore
Parking is free in the lot at Fort McHenry
(Directions: www.nps.gov/fomc/planyourvisit/directions.htm)
RSVP/Contact: Ivan Chan, ichan@neefusa.org or by phone at (202) 261-6481
NEEF has supported the work of local organizations and friends groups through its National Public Lands Day (www.publiclandsday.org) — the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands—since 1994 and its Every Day Grants program (www.neefusa.org/grants/every_day_grants) since 2010. Toyota has been NPLD’s national sponsor for what will be the 14th consecutive year. NEEF has made grants to 22 groups this year, including the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., and 10 grants in 2010. Summaries of the grantees are provided on the grant program web page. To learn more, visit www.neefusa.org.