    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [May 29, 1999]
    [Pages 856-857]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    May 29, 1999

        Good morning. This holiday weekend, when millions of Americans are
    taking to beaches and lakes and trails, I want to talk to you about new
    ways we can work together to protect the natural treasures we all share.
        Today I'm speaking to you from the banks of the St. Mary's River in
    northern Florida, near the Georgia border, in one of the most impressive
    nature preserves Hillary and I have ever seen. Our visit here reminds us
    once again what a gift it is to spend time outdoors, to walk among tall
    trees, to see wild animals and rare birds, to watch the Sun set and the
    stars come out over a beautiful river. It also makes us appreciate the
    generations of Americans who fought to preserve the parklands and the
    beaches we all enjoy today.
        For the past 6 years, Vice President Gore and I have worked hard to
    advance the ethic of environmental stewardship. We've protected more
    than a million acres in the spectacular red rock canyonlands of Utah, in
    priceless stands of ancient redwoods in California. We've reduced toxic
    air pollution from chemical plants by 90 percent and cleaned up more
    toxic waste sites than were cleaned up in the previous 12 years. We
    saved Yellowstone Park from the threat of nearby gold mining, and we've
    taken major steps to protect our water resources, from the precious
    Florida Everglades to the tap water our children drink.
        Today I'm proud to announce three new executive actions to improve
    the quality of our water and the health of our families. First, I'm
    directing the National Park Service and other agencies to expand public
    health protections on the thousands of miles of stunning beaches managed
    by the Federal Government, including Cape Cod, Cape Hatteras, and
    California's Point Reyes. And I challenge the States to improve their
    water quality standards. Second, I'm directing the EPA to develop
    stronger measures to prevent sewage spills, the major cause of beach
    closures. Third, I'm directing all Federal agencies to adopt a
    comprehensive strategy to better safeguard rivers and other bodies of
    water on Federal lands.
        Of course, there are other important environmental and public health
    challenges we must address. The balanced budget I submitted to Congress
    earlier this year contains historic investments to improve the quality
    of life, save more land, and deal with the challenge of climate change
    by helping communities protect farmlands, parklands, and other green
    spaces, rewarding consumers who buy cars and houses that reduce
    greenhouse gas pollution, controlling polluted runoff to lakes and
    streams, and improving the quality of air we breathe.
        Unfortunately, even as we work to raise the level of environmental
    stewardship for the 21st century, some in Congress are intent on rolling
    back many of the gains we've already make in this century. With little
    fanfare, the leadership in the House and the Senate just released
    spending guidelines that would impose drastic cuts in environmental
    protection and public health. These cuts could stall toxic waste
    cleanups and undermine our efforts to ensure safe drinking water, to
    improve air quality, and to combat the threat of global warming. They
    could even force us to shut down some of our national parks.
        What's more, we've already seen troubling signs that Congress again
    will try to gut environmental protections by tacking provisions called
    riders on to their budget bills. I urge Congress to end these sneak
    attacks on our environment once and for all.
        We often speak of building a country where our children have an
    opportunity to do even better than we've done. In part, of course, we
    refer to the economy, the opportunities we create for our children to
    secure a good education, a good job, and raise a family in a safe
    neighborhood with good schools, but we also refer to our natural world.
    We know our children cannot

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    do better tomorrow if we're willing to squander precious environmental
    resources today.
        More than ever, the American people recognize the inherent value of
    pristine peaks, unspoiled beaches, clear and safe water. They believe in
    the value of environmental stewardship. I think all of us believe in the
    value of that stewardship.
        Now is the time, on the edge of a new century, for us to unite as
    Americans and chart that course of stewardship. We must work together to
    leave our land, in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, ``an even better
    land for our descendants than it is for us.''
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 2:34 p.m. on May 28 at the White Oak
    Plantation in Yulee, FL, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 29. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    May 28 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.