[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 8, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 45977-45978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21701]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 172 / Tuesday, September 8, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 45977]]

                Proclamation 8409 of September 3, 2009

                
National Wilderness Month, 2009

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The American wilderness has inspired wonder and 
                imagination for centuries and is an irreplaceable part 
                of our Nation's heritage. Even before the birth of the 
                United States, visitors from near and far were struck 
                by its splendor and purity. The unaltered American 
                landscape stood apart from any other in the world. 
                During the years of westward expansion, the wilderness 
                frontier became synonymous with pioneer values of 
                steadfastness and rugged independence. This month, we 
                celebrate this history and renew our commitment to 
                preserving the American wilderness for future 
                generations.

                Forty-five years ago, the United States achieved a 
                landmark success in protecting these magnificent wild 
                spaces. The Congress passed and President Lyndon B. 
                Johnson signed the Wilderness Act, which sought to 
                secure ``for the American people of present and future 
                generations the benefits of an enduring resource of 
                wilderness.'' The Act has been widely recognized as one 
                of our Nation's most important conservation laws. This 
                law and the National Wilderness Preservation System it 
                established have served as a model for wilderness 
                protection laws in many of our States and in countries 
                around the world.

                The vision and structure established in the Wilderness 
                Act continue to receive broad support. This pioneering 
                law created a framework for bringing Federal public 
                lands under additional protection. Over the past 45 
                years, the Congress has enacted numerous laws extending 
                wilderness protection to vast swaths of public lands. 
                These laws have enjoyed bipartisan support. Ranchers 
                and anglers, small-business owners and 
                conservationists, and Americans of diverse backgrounds 
                have come together to preserve many of our Nation's 
                most cherished public spaces.

                My Administration has already demonstrated a commitment 
                to protecting our wilderness heritage. On March 30, 
                2009, I signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act 
                of 2009, which established the most recent additions to 
                our Wilderness System. As my Administration continues 
                to prioritize wilderness protection, we will work 
                closely with the Congress, organizations, and private 
                citizens to ensure that all stakeholders can make their 
                voices heard. United by a common purpose of preserving 
                our precious natural spaces and our wilderness 
                heritage, we will ensure that future generations 
                inherit the unique gift of knowing nature's peace.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim September 2009 as 
                National Wilderness Month. I call upon all Americans to 
                visit and enjoy our wilderness areas, learn more about 
                our wilderness heritage, and explore what can be done 
                to protect and preserve these precious national 
                treasures.

[[Page 45978]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                third day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. E9-21701
Filed 9-4-09; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P