Govs Adopt Policies on Job Creation, Visa Reform and the Youth Conservation Corp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2011

Yucca Valley, Calif. -- Western Governors meeting here today adopted policy resolutions aimed at tourism-related job creation and boosting the economy throughout the West. They also called for the creation of a youth conservation corp and visa reform.

The governors discussed with local business owners and elected officials in Yucca Valley the important role tourism and recreation play in small rural communities.

"One of the bright spots in the Western economy the past few years has been the tourism and recreation industries," said Gov. Chris Gregoire (Wash.), Chair of the Western Governors' Association.

The governors also talked with local students about ways to encourage more young people and families to spend time in the West's great outdoor spaces - parks, forests, deserts, mountains and beaches - and how the outdoors can be used as a teaching tool for science and math projects.

The meeting concluded with the governors visiting Joshua Tree National Park to observe and talk with high school students from Catherdral City High School who collect data on select desert plants and take measurements to determine their age.

Resolutions the governors adopted today included recommendations in support of youth conservaton corps and for improving visa approval procedures for foreign tourists.

"Despite a 40 percent increase in global tourism over the past decade, in 2010 the U.S. welcomed only one percent more overseas travelers than it did in 2000," Gregoire said. "To compete for foreign tourists the U.S. must ensure its visa policies and process are streamlined, responsive, timely and efficient."

Also adopted were resolutions supporting the use of forest biomass for energy production and the use of alternative fueled vehicles to reduce dependence of foreign oil sources. The Governors also raised concerns about an effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that threatens to duplicate or possibly override state financial assurance requirements for mining operations.

The resolutions are available on WGA's Web site at www.westgov.org