[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 169 (Friday, September 3, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49901-49902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19329]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 169 / Friday, September 3, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 49901]]


                Proclamation 10248 of August 31, 2021

                
National Wilderness Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America's public lands and waters, awe-inspiring 
                landscapes, and cultural sites reflect a deep and 
                abiding connection to our natural heritage. Our lands 
                and waters are rich with diverse plant and animal life, 
                and we are privileged to be able to enjoy irreplaceable 
                national treasures that amaze us, inspire us, fill us 
                with pride, support our lives and livelihoods, and 
                belong to all of us in equal measure.

                During National Wilderness Month, we affirm that our 
                Nation's public lands and waters must be accessible to 
                all Americans, we recognize that our lands and waters 
                can revitalize the soul and solidify our respect for 
                the natural wonders that surround us and the earth we 
                share, and we recommit to their preservation and 
                protection, today and for future generations.

                The Wilderness Act, signed into law by President Lyndon 
                B. Johnson in 1964, opened a new chapter in American 
                conservation by creating the National Wilderness 
                Preservation System. The primary goal of the act is to 
                preserve the places ``where the earth and its community 
                of life are untrammeled.'' Today, the National 
                Wilderness Preservation System includes more than 800 
                wilderness areas spanning more than 111 million acres. 
                These wilderness areas are located within national 
                forests, parks, wildlife refuges, and conservation 
                lands and waters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many 
                Americans turned to these areas for physical 
                recreation, mental well-being, and inspiration, and our 
                public lands and waters became places of healing and 
                sanctuary.

                But our natural wonders are at risk. Now more than 
                ever, we must come together to combat the climate 
                crisis and unprecedented acceleration of species 
                extinction, to protect and conserve our great outdoors 
                before it is too late. Since taking office, I have 
                recommitted the United States to the Paris Climate 
                Agreement, pushed for stronger action to cut greenhouse 
                gas pollution, and resolved to strengthen our 
                resilience against rising temperatures. Additionally, 
                my Administration's historic ``America the Beautiful'' 
                initiative sets a national conservation goal to invest 
                in, conserve, connect, and restore at least 30 percent 
                of the Nation's lands and waters by 2030. These diverse 
                landscapes and waterways are vital in so many ways: 
                they provide homes to fish and wildlife, and hold 
                resources that sustain our own lives, counteract the 
                damaging impacts of climate change, and underpin our 
                global economy.

                We also recognize that not all Americans have access to 
                our public lands. My Administration is committed to 
                ensuring that all peoples and communities have clean 
                air and clean water, and receive the additional 
                physical, spiritual, and economic benefits that our 
                great wilderness provides. As the original stewards of 
                these lands, Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities 
                have a sacred connection and deep understanding of our 
                Nation's wilderness areas, and the history of America's 
                public lands has too often involved broken promises to 
                the Native peoples who have lived on them since time 
                immemorial. I am committed to working in partnership 
                with Tribal, State, and local partners to find 
                solutions to our most pressing conservation and

[[Page 49902]]

                stewardship challenges, and to honoring the special 
                relationship of Tribes to their ancestral sacred lands. 
                This work is urgent.

                During National Wilderness Month, let us strengthen our 
                connection to the American wilderness areas, support 
                their designation and protection, and work to preserve 
                the stories they tell, the memories they create, and 
                the heritage they reflect for all Americans for 
                generations to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2021 
                as National Wilderness Month. I encourage all Americans 
                to experience our Nation's outdoor heritage, to 
                recreate responsibly and to leave no trace, to 
                celebrate the value of preserving an enduring resource 
                of wilderness, and to strengthen our commitment to 
                protecting these vital lands and waters now and for 
                future generations.

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

[FR Doc. 2021-19329
Filed 9-2-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P