[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 174 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 61979-61980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21759]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 174 / Thursday, September 8, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 61979]]


                Proclamation 9482 of August 31, 2016

                
National Wilderness Month, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                In our Nation's earliest days, a vast majority of North 
                America was wilderness--from majestic plains and 
                imposing mountain ranges to dense forests and rushing 
                waterways. Today, protected wild spaces continue to 
                serve as a backdrop for curious and adventurous 
                Americans to seek the thrill and joy of connecting with 
                the sacred spirit of our country's wilderness, offering 
                a wide variety of activities including hiking, camping, 
                and climbing. This month, as we cherish our vast and 
                vibrant natural heritage, we resolve to preserve its 
                splendors for all who will follow in our footsteps.

                Aiming to leave future generations with a ``glimpse of 
                the world as it was in the beginning,'' President 
                Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law two historic pieces 
                of legislation that opened a new chapter in American 
                conservation--the Wilderness Act and the Land and Water 
                Conservation Fund Act. The Wilderness Act defined our 
                untrammeled lands as wilderness and created the 
                National Wilderness Preservation System, recognizing 
                forests, parks, and wildlife refuges as having 
                intrinsic value as wild lands worth protecting. The 
                Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established 
                out of a bipartisan commitment to ensure that we can 
                protect lands and waters for use and enjoyment by all 
                our people; throughout the last 50 years it has 
                supported conservation efforts in every State, 
                including tens of thousands of State and local projects 
                through billions of dollars in grants. But a lack of 
                full and secure funding hinders many important LWCF 
                projects that protect critical habitats and provide 
                recreational opportunities--which is why I keep calling 
                on the Congress to pursue permanent funding for the 
                LWCF.

                Our great outdoors are home to some of the richest and 
                most beautiful ecosystems and resources on the planet, 
                and my Administration has made protecting them a 
                priority. Climate change, one of the greatest 
                challenges of our time, is already harming many of our 
                wild spaces, which is one important reason why I have 
                pushed for stronger action to cut greenhouse gas 
                pollution and strengthen the resilience of our 
                ecosystems to rising temperatures. In my first year in 
                office, I signed the most extensive expansion of 
                conservation efforts in more than a generation. Since 
                then, my Administration has protected hundreds of 
                millions of acres of land and water, more than any 
                Administration in history. Through our America's Great 
                Outdoors initiative, we have worked with local, State, 
                and tribal partners to build a conservation agenda 
                worthy of the 21st century. And to ensure more 
                Americans can experience everything the wilderness has 
                to offer, we launched the ``Every Kid in a Park'' 
                initiative, giving fourth graders and their families 
                free entrance to our National Parks and other public 
                lands and waters.

                It is one of our greatest responsibilities as citizens 
                of this Nation and stewards of this planet to protect 
                these outdoor spaces of incomparable beauty and to 
                ensure that this powerful inheritance is passed on to 
                future generations. During National Wilderness Month, 
                let us strengthen our connection with these natural 
                treasures and ensure that the stories they tell and the 
                resources they provide are resilient and everlasting in 
                the years to come.

[[Page 61980]]

                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 2016 as 
                National Wilderness Month. I invite all Americans to 
                visit and enjoy our wilderness areas, to learn about 
                their vast history, and to aid in the protection of our 
                precious national treasures.

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

[FR Doc. 2016-21759
Filed 9-7-16; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P