[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 80 (Thursday, April 25, 2002)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 20605-20606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10424]



[[Page 20603]]

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Part III





The President





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Proclamation 7546--National Park Week, 2002
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 80 / Thursday, April 25, 2002 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 20605]]

                Proclamation 7546 of April 23, 2002

                
National Park Week, 2002

                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 outdoor 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 ecosystems. 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.

[[Page 20606]]

                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.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 02-10424
Filed 04-24-02; 11:22 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P