[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[July 23, 1992]
[Page 1167]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1167]]

Memorandum on the President's Tree Planting Initiative

July 23, 1992
Memorandum for the Heads of Certain Departments and Agencies

Subject: President's Tree Planting Initiative

    I am writing to remind you of this Administration's continuing 
commitment to increase tree planting across America. The national tree 
planting program, a component of the America the Beautiful initiative, 
calls for public/private partnerships involving communities and 
volunteers throughout the Nation. Our goal is to plant and maintain in 
our cities and countryside an additional one billion trees per year 
through the year 2000. This is an ambitious goal that will significantly 
enhance the environment and boost economic activity. Federal agency 
leadership will contribute greatly to the achievement of this goal.
    During this last year, a representative of your organization has 
been asked to participate in a coordinating committee to promote, 
inform, and participate in tree planting activities in your agency 
nationwide. I urge you to energetically support the committee and its 
activities in order to ensure that the Federal Government does its part 
for tree planting.
    Americans are enthusiastically joining this effort. Urban tree 
planting increased by 25 percent last year. In rural America, our cost-
sharing program with private nonindustrial private landowners is now 
underway and should result in the planting of an additional 200 million 
trees this year--a 10 percent increase over past years but a long way 
from our goal due to insufficient funding from the Congress.
    My FY 1993 budget seeks to double the level of funding for the tree 
planting initiative to $138 million. Reforestation remains a cornerstone 
of my commitment to protecting and enhancing America's natural resources 
and environment in a way that is consistent with our efforts to promote 
economic growth.
    On June 1, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and 
Development in Rio de Janeiro, I announced the Forests for the Future 
Initiative to conserve and sustain the Earth's forests. Appropriate 
models for worldwide commitment and action to save the forests may well 
stem from the public/private partnerships developed in your agency. With 
your help, we can reach our goal.

                                                             George Bush

The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of 
Defense, the Secretary of the Army, the Acting Secretary of the Navy, 
the Secretary of the Air Force, the Attorney General, the Secretary of 
the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, 
the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of 
Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Education, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Administrator of General Services, the 
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the Director of the 
United States Information Agency, the Chairman of the Postal Rate 
Commission, the Director of the Institute of Museum Services, the 
Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, the Acting Director of 
the Office of Policy Development, the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget, the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy