[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.