[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 54023-54024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21362]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 186 / Wednesday, September 29, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 54023]]


                Proclamation 10263 of September 24, 2021

                
National Public Lands Day, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On National Public Lands Day, we celebrate America's 
                beautiful and majestic public lands--those 
                irreplaceable natural treasures that belong to all of 
                us in equal measure. Our Nation is blessed with an 
                abundance of awe-inspiring public lands, including 
                National Parks, Monuments, conservation areas, wildlife 
                refuges, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, 
                lakes, and reservoirs. For Americans in every part of 
                our Nation, these spaces are invaluable sources of 
                recreation and education, of spiritual fulfillment and 
                rejuvenation, and of inspiration and pride.

                Since 1994, National Public Lands Day has brought 
                together hundreds of thousands of volunteers to help 
                restore these essential places; today, it is the 
                largest single-day public lands volunteer event in our 
                Nation. From Shenandoah National Park to Tonto National 
                Forest, volunteers complete service projects like 
                building bridges and trails, restoring native 
                ecosystems, collecting trash, and removing invasive 
                species. These service projects also give volunteers 
                the opportunity to learn more about our public lands 
                and understand the environmental, economic, and health 
                benefits our natural wonders provide. On this day, all 
                federally managed public lands and waters will offer 
                free admission for anyone in America who wishes to 
                explore these shared spaces.

                My Administration is committed to conserving our 
                precious public lands and waters. Earlier this year, I 
                signed an Executive Order to create a Civilian Climate 
                Corps, which will put dedicated Americans to work 
                conserving and restoring our public lands and waters 
                for the benefit of all our people. Through our 
                ``America the Beautiful'' initiative, we are also 
                working with State, local, and Tribal governments as 
                well as private landowners through voluntary 
                conservation efforts to achieve our goal of conserving 
                30 percent of our Nation's lands and waters by 2030. 
                This decade-long effort will harness the best of the 
                American spirit to protect our biodiversity, improve 
                access to public spaces, and conserve and restore the 
                lands, waters, and wildlife that we all depend on for 
                generations to come.

                Our public lands have provided millions of Americans 
                with a much-needed reprieve from the stress and 
                hardships felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we 
                continue to get America vaccinated and defeat the 
                pandemic, I invite all Americans to recognize the 
                enormous value--both tangible and intangible--of these 
                unique natural places and to support their local public 
                lands and waters through acts of volunteerism and 
                service. At the same time, we also recognize that not 
                all Americans have equal access to our public lands. My 
                Administration is committed to improving equitable 
                access to nature in every community and to ensuring 
                that every American has the opportunity to enjoy these 
                natural spaces that belong to all of us.

                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 25, 
                2021, as National Public Lands Day. I invite all 
                Americans to join me in a day of service for our public 
                lands.

[[Page 54024]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-fourth day of September, 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. 2021-21362
Filed 9-28-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P