For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 23, 2002
National Park Week Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our national park system helps preserve our history, heritage, and
the natural beauty of our Nation for the enjoyment of all our citizens
and many international visitors. Thanks to our park system, many of
these treasures retain their original beauty and grandeur. The parks
are places for recreation, education, and reflection, and we must take
care of them in a way that preserves them for posterity.
In 1872, the Congress established in the Territories of Montana and
Wyoming what we all know now as Yellowstone National Park. This
beautiful area later became the first to be designated as a national
park. Our national park system was established in 1916 to protect and
maintain our natural resources and historic sites. Today, there are
385 national parks on 84 million acres, visited annually by 280 million
people from around the world.
My Administration's "National Parks Legacy Project" was initiated
to ensure proper care for our national park system. Through thoughtful
and diligent efforts, the National Parks Legacy Project will enhance
the parks' ecosystems, improve out-door opportunities, address
infrastructure needs, and establish accountability through performance
goals. The National Parks Legacy Project and other actions such as our
support for the Everglades Restoration Plan and our request to fully
fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund are important steps to
support existing and future parks, vital habitats, and threatened
eco-systems. I have asked the Secretary of the Interior to prepare an
annual report on the conditions of our national parks and to offer
specific recommendations for improvements.
We must also pay tribute to the role that the dedicated 20,000 men
and women of the National Park Service play in preserving our parks.
Each day these professionals and more than 120,000 volunteers work to
make national parks accessible, safe, educational, and well
maintained. Their job is critical to the future of our parks and
national treasures, and America is grateful.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22 through
April 28, 2002, as National Park Week. I call upon all the people of
the United States to join me in recognizing the importance of national
parks and to learn more about these areas of beauty and their
historical importance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third
day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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