[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 109 (Thursday, June 6, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 33955-33956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13540]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 109 / Thursday, June 6, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 33955]]

                Proclamation 8988 of May 31, 2013

                
Great Outdoors Month, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The United States is blessed with a wealth of natural 
                diversity that remains at the heart of who we are as a 
                people. From breathtaking seascapes to the limitless 
                stretch of the Great Plains, our natural surroundings 
                animate the American spirit, fuel discovery and 
                innovation, and offer unparalleled opportunities for 
                recreation and learning. During Great Outdoors Month, 
                we celebrate the land entrusted to us by our forebears 
                and resolve to pass it on safely to future generations.

                We owe our heritage to the work of visionary citizens 
                who believed that our obligations as Americans are not 
                just to ourselves, but to all posterity. It is up to 
                all of us to carry that legacy forward in the 21st 
                century--which is why I was proud to launch the 
                America's Great Outdoors Initiative to bring innovative 
                strategies to today's conservation challenges. 
                Alongside leaders in government and the private sector, 
                we are taking action to expand outdoor opportunities in 
                urban areas, promote outdoor recreation, protect our 
                landscapes, and connect the next generation to our 
                natural treasures. And by tapping into the wisdom of 
                concerned citizens from every corner of our country, we 
                are finding new solutions that respond to the 
                priorities of the American people.

                At a time when too many of our young people find 
                themselves in sedentary routines, we need to do more to 
                help all Americans reconnect with the outdoors. To lead 
                the way, First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move 
                Outside! initiative encourages families to get out and 
                enjoy our beautiful country, whether at a National Park 
                or just outside their doorstep. And through the 21st 
                Century Conservation Service Corps, young men and women 
                will get hands-on experience restoring our public lands 
                and protecting our cultural heritage.

                Fortunately, we do not have to choose between good 
                environmental stewardship and economic progress because 
                they go hand-in-hand. Smart, sustainable policies can 
                create jobs, increase tourism, and lay the groundwork 
                for long-term economic growth. For example, our 
                National Travel and Tourism Strategy aims to bring more 
                people to all of our national attractions, including 
                our public lands and waters, and the five new National 
                Monuments I was proud to designate earlier this year. 
                Our natural spaces are also laboratories for 
                scientists, inventors, and creators--Americans who 
                sustain a tradition of innovation that makes our 
                country the most dynamic economy on earth.

                For centuries, America's great outdoors have given 
                definition to our national character and inspired us 
                toward bold new horizons. This month, let us reflect on 
                those timeless gifts, and let us vow to renew 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 June 2013 as Great 
                Outdoors Month. I urge all Americans to explore the 
                great outdoors and to uphold our Nation's legacy of 
                conserving our lands and waters for future generations.

[[Page 33956]]

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

[FR Doc. 2013-13540
Filed 6-5-13; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F3