[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]
Presidential Documents
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