[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 885-886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-156]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 4 / Thursday, January 7, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 885]]

                Proclamation 8469 of December 31, 2009

                
40th Anniversary of the National Environmental 
                Policy Act, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Forty years ago, the National Environmental Policy Act 
                (NEPA) was signed into law with overwhelming bipartisan 
                support, ushering in a new era of environmental 
                awareness and citizen participation in government. NEPA 
                elevated the role of environmental considerations in 
                proposed Federal agency actions, and it remains the 
                cornerstone of our Nation's modern environmental 
                protections. On this anniversary, we celebrate this 
                milestone in our Nation's rich history of conservation, 
                and we renew our commitment to preserve our environment 
                for the next generation.

                NEPA was enacted to ``prevent or eliminate damage to 
                the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health 
                and welfare of man.'' It established concrete 
                objectives for Federal agencies to enforce these 
                principles, while emphasizing public involvement to 
                give all Americans a role in protecting our 
                environment. It also created the Council on 
                Environmental Quality to lead our Government's 
                conservation efforts and serve as the President's 
                environmental advisor.

                America's economic health and prosperity are inexorably 
                linked to the productive and sustainable use of our 
                environment. That is why NEPA remains a vital tool for 
                my Administration as we work to protect our Nation's 
                environment and revitalize our economy. The American 
                Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 reaffirmed NEPA's 
                role in protecting public health, safety, and 
                environmental quality, and in ensuring transparency, 
                accountability, and public involvement in our 
                Government.

                Today, my Administration will recognize NEPA's 
                enactment by recommitting to environmental quality 
                through open, accountable, and responsible decision 
                making that involves the American public. Our Nation's 
                long-term prosperity depends upon our faithful 
                stewardship of the air we breathe, the water we drink, 
                and the land we sow. With smart, sustainable policies 
                like those established under NEPA, we can meet our 
                responsibility to future generations of Americans, so 
                they may hope to enjoy the beauty and utility of a 
                clean, healthy planet.

                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 January 1, 2010, as 
                the 40th Anniversary of the National Environmental 
                Policy Act. I call upon all executive branch agencies 
                to promote public involvement and transparency in their 
                implementation of the National Environmental Policy 
                Act. I also encourage every American to learn more 
                about the National Environmental Policy Act and how we 
                can all contribute to protecting and enhancing our 
                environment.

[[Page 886]]

                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of December, 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. 2010-156
Filed 1-6-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W0-P