[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 3, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60277-60278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24530]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 3, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 60277]]

                Proclamation 8871 of September 28, 2012

                
National Public Lands Day, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                When Thomas Jefferson described the view from 
                Monticello in 1786, he wrote, ``How sublime to look 
                down into the workhouse of nature, to see her clouds, 
                hail, snow, rain, thunder, all fabricated at our 
                feet!'' Though much has changed in the years since our 
                third President put those words to paper, the sense of 
                awe and reverence he expressed still courses through 
                the American spirit. Our expansive landscapes remain an 
                inspiration for all to behold, and as an essential 
                piece of our heritage, it is incumbent upon us to 
                protect them not only in our time, but for all time.

                Today, thousands of Americans will take up that task by 
                volunteering to care for our public lands. Cities and 
                communities across our country will join together to 
                restore the lands and waters we share, and families 
                nationwide will explore the natural splendor that 
                stretches from our Atlantic shores to the Pacific's 
                rocky coasts. As we take time to connect with America's 
                great outdoors in urban and rural areas alike, we are 
                reminded of the varied roles our public lands play in 
                our national life. These areas boost tourism and 
                contribute to public health; they power local 
                economies, fuel tomorrow's energy solutions, and serve 
                as critical havens of biodiversity; and just as they 
                always have, our public lands remain places of 
                irreplaceable beauty. Through the America's Great 
                Outdoors initiative, my Administration has worked to 
                expand access to these important spaces while ensuring 
                they are protected for future generations, and moving 
                forward, we will continue to advance that vital 
                mission.

                The rugged grandeur of the American landscape has 
                helped shape our character and our soul as a Nation. As 
                we celebrate this National Public Lands Day, let us 
                reflect on the lands and waters that so deeply enrich 
                our experience, and let us renew our commitment to 
                protecting them in the years to come.

                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 29, 2012, 
                as National Public Lands Day. I encourage all Americans 
                to participate in a day of public service for our 
                lands.

[[Page 60278]]

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

[FR Doc. 2012-24530
Filed 10-2-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F3