[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 72293-72294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20130]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 72293]]


                Proclamation 10801 of August 30, 2024

                
National Wilderness Month, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America's beautiful natural landscapes are part of our 
                Nation's identity, history, and heritage. One century 
                ago, the Gila Wilderness was established as our 
                country's first designated wilderness area, protecting 
                this national treasure and beginning a new era of 
                Federal conservation. Across our Nation, designated 
                wilderness areas protect some of our most precious 
                sites--soaring mountains, winding rivers, expansive 
                deserts, and lush forests. These special places unite 
                us, inspire us, and connect us to something bigger than 
                ourselves. During National Wilderness Month, we 
                recommit to the essential work of protecting our Earth, 
                celebrate our country's natural places, and continue 
                our work to ensure that every community has access to 
                nature's gifts.

                By conserving our wilderness, we not only protect key 
                pieces of our Nation's history--we also protect the 
                livelihoods of people who depend on our lands and 
                waters. We protect and preserve Tribal communities' 
                sacred landscapes. We sustain wildlife and conserve 
                landscapes to help fight climate change and improve our 
                Nation's resilience. And we ensure that generations of 
                Americans will be able to enjoy the beauty and power of 
                our country's wilderness today and into the future.

                That is why my Administration set the most ambitious 
                conservation goal ever--committing to conserve at least 
                30 percent of all our Nation's lands and waters by 
                2030. That goal is at the heart of my ``America the 
                Beautiful'' initiative to support locally led, 
                voluntary conservation and restoration efforts across 
                the country. To that end, my Administration has made 
                historic investments to protect our shared natural 
                heritage, such as investing $1.4 billion in ecosystem 
                restoration and resilience through the Bipartisan 
                Infrastructure Law.

                To date, my Administration has conserved more than 41 
                million acres of our Nation's lands and waters. I 
                restored protections for the desert buttes of both the 
                Bears Ears National Monument and the Grand Staircase-
                Escalante National Monument in Utah and the underwater 
                canyons of Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine 
                National Monument. I established six new national 
                monuments, including the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni in 
                Arizona and the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in 
                Nevada. And I expanded the San Gabriel Mountains 
                National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain 
                National Monument in California.

                Further, I withdrew the United States Arctic Ocean from 
                new oil and gas leasing. And I took executive action to 
                consider designating more than 700,000 square miles of 
                the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii as a new National 
                Marine Sanctuary, which could make this one of the 
                largest marine protected areas on the planet.

                My Administration is taking action to harness our 
                natural resources in the fight against climate change; 
                protect our forests; and improve the health of our 
                Nation's lands, waters, and wildlife. Together, we can 
                continue to advance locally led and locally supported 
                proposals for conserving our most unique and beautiful 
                lands and waters. And we can continue our

[[Page 72294]]

                partnership with Tribal Nations, working together as 
                co-stewards and ensuring that Indigenous Knowledge is 
                respectfully included in the care of our natural 
                heritage.

                During National Wilderness Month, may we celebrate the 
                people who steward and care for our Nation's designated 
                wilderness areas. And may we continue to protect and 
                conserve these areas so that generations of Americans 
                will know their beauty, serenity, and power.

                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 2024 
                as National Wilderness Month. I encourage all Americans 
                to experience our Nation's outdoor heritage, to 
                recreate responsibly and leave no trace, to celebrate 
                the value of preserving an enduring 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 
                thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-20130
Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P