UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Washington, DC 20240
 
May 18, 2011
 
In Reply Refer To:
1114 (172) P
 
EMS TRANSMISSION 05/25/2010
Instruction Memorandum No. 2011-117
Expires: 09/30/2012
 
To:                   State Directors and Assistant Directors
                        Attn:  State Youth Leads, State Public Affairs Officers, State Recreation Leads, and State Volunteer Coordinators
 
From:               Director
 
Subject:            Let’s Move Outside                                                      DD: 06/10/2011
 
Program Areas:  Youth; Recreation and Visitor Services; Education and Interpretation; Volunteers.
 
Purpose:  The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to provide background information and guidance on the “Let’s Move Outside” (LMO) initiative and its implementation in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and to request your assistance in identifying LMO events for the upcoming year.
 
Policy/Action: LMO is an important initiative derived from the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign to end childhood obesity.  LMO is also a key component of the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative, helping to implement AGO by nurturing a new generation of healthy, conservation leaders.  

The BLM already offers many opportunities for young people to connect with nature through outdoor activities that promote fitness, stewardship and conservation.  LMO provides an exciting, new platform for the BLM to coordinate, enhance, and promote these activities, programs, and events. 

In order to more fully participate in the LMO campaign, BLM offices are encouraged to build outdoor physical activity into programs and events that attract families and children.  With their emphasis on getting children outdoors and increasing their connections with the natural world, Take It Outside events, in particular, provide a natural connection to LMO.
 
States are requested to identify upcoming events and significant actions that meet LMO criteria and report them through State External Affairs to WO as part of existing data calls, including Weekly Report.  These events should meet the LMO criteria outlined in Attachment 1, including:
  • Involve at least 60 minutes of medium to high-intensity physical activity.  Activity does not have to be continuous.
  • Offer one or more outdoor activities conducive to improving fitness.
  • Involve youth or families.
In addition, State Directors are asked to identify at least one LMO event within the next six months in which they will participate personally.  Please provide this information by
June 10, 2011.
 
Field Office managers are also invited to participate in a Director’s challenge:  Field Offices that sponsor three or more LMO events before September 30, 2011, will be eligible for additional Youth Program funding in a subsequent fiscal year. LMO events must meet the criteria outlined in the attached guidelines and must be reported to National Youth Program Lead, Betsy Wooster (ewooster@blm.gov), using the attached reporting form (Attachment 2).
 
Timeframe:  This IM is effective immediately.  Information on LMO events and programs should be provided on an ongoing basis through the Public Affairs Weekly Reports and other requests for calendar updates.
 
Budget Impact:  The budget impact is expected to be minimal.
 
Background:  In June 2010, the First Lady launched LMOas the outdoor activity component of her Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation. LMO, coordinated jointly by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Agriculture, seeks to connect children to nature through healthy, outdoor recreation. Having evolved alongside the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, LMO will serve as one of the primary vehicles bureaus can use to make the outdoors more accessible and relevant to today’s youth.  
 
LMO is grounded in four key pillars:  health, family, fun, and stewardship.
  • Health:  Research shows that children who spend regular time outside are less likely to become obese and develop related health problems, and are more likely to lead active lifestyles as adults. 
  • Family:  Outdoor activity brings families together and fosters healthy, lasting habits.
  • Fun:  People of all ages and backgrounds find pleasure in outdoor activity.
  • Stewardship:  Outdoor activity connects children to nature and fosters a lifelong love of America’s lands and waters.
DOI has requested that each bureau commit to take action in at least three of the five areas outlined below:
  • Events: Co-brand events, workshops, or clinics that embody the LMO pillars.  All LMO events must adhere to the Let’s Move! co-branding guidelines (See Attachment 1) .
  • Programs: Co-brand existing programs that advance the LMO pillars. Where possible, adjust these programs to incorporate more physical activity, and create milestones or incentives for individual or group participants. Consider co-branding formal or informal programs as LMO events, including curriculum-based lessons for school groups and ranger-guided activities that take place on the weekends or over the summer. 
  • Service: emphasize the four pillars through existing service projects that take place on-site or in neighboring communities. Engage volunteers in hands-on conservation or restoration efforts that improve fitness, or coordinate teams of outdoor ambassadors or mentors to teach visitors about the health benefits of moving outside. These projects can be event-based or ongoing.  
  • Funding:  align grants and other funding sources to advance the LMO pillars. Look for ways to expand opportunities for outdoor activity using existing resources, including grants available through foundations and other supporting institutions.
  • Collaboration & Outreach: work with schools, partner organizations, and other agencies to expand the reach of LMO projects. Advance the four pillars by coordinating community outreach efforts, training teachers and parents, collaborating on research projects, and finding new ways to inspire young people to get moving outside. 
Additional information about LMO is available at: http://www.letsmove.gov/lets-move-outside.
In addition, a toolkit on LMO has been developed for agency staff and is available on the DOI Intranet at: http://oneinterior.doi.net/oneinterior/Youth/lmo.cfm
 
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected:  None
 
Coordination:  Recreation and Visitor Services (WO 250) and Public Affairs (WO 610) Divisions
 
Contacts:  Information on all potential LMO events should be sent on an ongoing basis through State External Affairs offices to WO Public Affairs.  Please contact Betsy Wooster if there are any questions about LMO.
 
Signed by:                                                       Authenticated by:
Mike Pool                                                         Robert M. Williams
Acting, Director                                                Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
 
2 Attachments