For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 16, 2004
National Park Week, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our system of national parks is entrusted to each generation of
Americans. By practicing good management and being faithful stewards
of the land, our generation can show that we are worthy of that trust.
During National Park Week, we renew our commit-ment to caring for these
treasured natural resources.
God designed our lands to be beautiful, but we must ensure God's
beauty is maintained and conserved. Our citizens depend on our
dedicated National Park Service employees and their volunteer partners
to fulfill this important mission. In 2001 and 2002, volunteers
contributed millions of hours of service to our parks by clearing
trails, repairing facilities, leading education programs, and assisting
visitors. This year's National Park Week theme, "Partners in
Stewardship," encourages all Americans to join these volunteer partners
in helping to look after our nearly 400 national park areas.
The Federal Government is investing more in its national parks now
than at any time in its history. To help restore our national parks,
my Administration proposed $4.9 billion in funding over 5 years on
needed maintenance and repairs. We have undertaken hundreds of vital
park maintenance projects and are planning and executing hundreds
more. We are also using a new system of inventory and assessment to
identify facilities needing improvements and to measure those
improvements as they are implemented.
Our citizens own America's parks, historic sites, battlefields,
recreation areas, monuments, and shores, and we want these lands to be
accessible and enjoyable for them to visit. We must respect our
natural, cultural, and recreational heritage and conserve our parks for
future generations. Park maintenance is critical to achieving each of
these goals. By modernizing trail systems, we make it possible for
people to fully appreciate these remarkable places. By maintaining
buildings, roads, and campsites, we ensure our parks remain sources of
pride for our citizens, our communities, and our Nation.
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 18 through
April 25, 2004, as National Park Week. I call upon the people of the
United States to join me in recognizing the importance of our national
parks
and to learn more about these areas of beauty, their cultural and
historical significance, and the many ways citizens can volunteer to
conserve these precious resources.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day
of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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