    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [August 21, 1999]
    [Pages 1463-1464]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 21, 1999

        Good morning. Like many Americans, Hillary and I are fortunate to be
    spending part of our summer vacation enjoying the splendors of nature--
    strolling clean, beautiful beaches, breathing the fresh ocean air,
    watching the stunning sunset--reminding us that we must do everything we
    can to preserve this glorious land of ours for generations yet to come.
        President Theodore Roosevelt once committed our Nation to leaving
    this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us. Vice
    President Gore and I have tried hard to fulfill his vision. We protected
    the Yellowstone Park from the threat of mining, preserved the red rock
    canyons of Utah, saved age-old redwoods in California's Headwaters
    Forest. We

    [[Page 1464]]

    launched the most ambitious restoration effort ever in the magnificent
    Florida Everglades. And we're acting to restore healthy air and pristine
    skies to our national parks so that future generations can see and enjoy
    them, just as the first explorers did.
        Last year, at my request, Congress approved new funding to protect
    other precious lands. Today I'm pleased to announce our latest efforts.
    We've just reach a landmark agreement to protect more than 9,000 acres
    of critical land next to Yellowstone, another milestone in our effort to
    preserve the matchless wonders of America's first national park.
        Permanently protecting these lands will help to ensure the survival
    of the bison and other herds that roam the wilds of Yellowstone. And by
    removing a threat to the underground springs that feed Yellowstone's
    geysers, we'll ensure that Old Faithful remains faithful for years to
    come. A hundred years from now, families still will be able to
    experience the magnificent glory of Yellowstone.
        We're also protecting several other natural and historic sites
    across our country, from ancient ruins in Bandelier National Monument,
    to the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., to California's
    spectacular Big Sur coast. We can all be proud of these latest additions
    to our Nation's endowment. Yet, with more Americans visiting our
    national parks and forests than ever before, we must do more. Every
    child deserves a chance to hike in an old-growth forest or wade in a
    clear, cool stream. And our land is more than a haven for wildlife or a
    vacation spot; it embodies our very history and our culture.
        In too many places, vital pieces of this heritage are disappearing.
    Once lost, they can't be replaced. That is why I proposed an historic
    lands legacy initiative to open the new century with an unprecedented
    commitment to preserving our most precious lands for all time. First, as
    part of our balanced budget for the coming year, I proposed a record $1
    billion to protect natural treasures and provide new resources to States
    and communities to preserve farms, urban parks, wetlands, coastlands,
    and working forests.
        Second, I asked for permanent funding of at least a billion dollars
    a year to continue these efforts through the coming century. My
    priorities for the new year include new protections for Civil War
    battlefields, the Lewis and Clark trail, the Cape Cod National Seashore,
    and the Pelican Island refuge in Florida, America's first wildlife
    refuge.
        But these priorities are at risk because Congress has approved only
    a fraction of my request. And while we're taking action to protect our
    environment and the public health, the Republican leadership's risky tax
    plan would actually roll back our progress. It would cut funding to our
    national parks, even threaten to shut some of them down.
        Now, throughout this century the stewardship of our lands has not
    been a partisan issue; it's been a bipartisan cause. In that spirit, I
    urge Congress to approve my full request for the coming year for the
    lands legacy initiative, to work with me to create a permanent fund to
    preserving our lands.
        We're indebted to those who safeguarded our natural treasures so
    that we might enjoy them today, and we owe that same debt to the future.
    It is our sacred obligation to leave this land a better land for our
    children and for generations yet to come. Theodore Roosevelt was right,
    and it's time we all heeded him.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 5:50 p.m. on August 20 at a private
    residence in Nantucket, MA, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 21.
    The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary
    on August 20 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.