    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 22, 2002]
    [Pages 645-648]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Earth Day in Wilmington, New York
    April 22, 2002

        Well, thank you for that warm welcome on a snowy day. [Laughter] We
    had a great time in the park, and I want to thank you all very much for
    giving me the opportunity to hammer and stack, place gravel--
    [laughter]--in a beautiful part of the world. This is quite a sight for
    a fellow from Texas. [Laughter] It's quite a sight for anybody in
    America. And George is right, this is some
    of the most beautiful country in our entire Nation.
        I want to thank you all very much for welcoming me here on Earth
    Day, a day every spring when America can reflect on our natural world
    and our duties as Americans to do everything we can to promote the
    spirit of Earth Day. We have a duty in our country to make sure our land
    is preserved, our air is clean, our water is pure, our parks are
    accessible and open and well-preserved. And that's why I'm here, to
    trumpet this duty and to thank those who assume their duty.
        I firmly believe that the--32 years after Earth Day, America
    understands our obligation much more so than in the years past, that we
    must be careful of our actions. Americans understand that. Good
    stewardship is a personal responsibility of all of us, and it's a public
    value. And that's what's important for Americans to understand, that
    each of us have a responsibility, and it's a part of our value system in
    our country to assume that responsibility.
        Somebody who understands that is the Governor of the State of New
    York, George Pataki. He's a great Governor;
    he's a good friend. He wields a pretty mean hammer. [Laughter] I'm proud
    to call him friend. And I know the people of New York are proud to call
    him Governor. He's the kind of fellow who does in office that which he
    says he's going to do. It doesn't matter what your political party is,
    as far as I'm concerned. What matters is--in this case, what matters is
    that he does--he kind of defeats cynicism by performing. And therefore,
    what I was going to say is, it doesn't matter what your party is; you've
    got to admire that in a man.
        I also appreciate Christie Todd Whitman's service to the country. Pataki, me, and Christie Todd were all Governors at one time or
    another and got to know each other. I knew she was a very good Governor
    of New Jersey and she'd be a great Administrator of the EPA, and she
    hasn't let me down.
        I want to thank Congressman Sherry Boehlert and John McHugh and John
    Sweeney for being here as well, the three
    Congressmen; thank you all for coming.

    [[Page 646]]

    David Skovron of the--chairman of the
    Adirondack Council, I want to thank you, David, wherever you are. I want
    to thank Steve McCormick of the Nature
    Conservancy. I appreciate the good work of the Nature Conservancy. It's
    a fantastic organization that's doing America a lot of good. I want to
    thank the members of AmeriCorps. I want to thank the Student
    Conservation Association, particularly its leadership, the sergeants. I
    want to thank the Adirondack Council, the Adirondack Park Agency, and
    all the good folks here who care about the environment and who care
    about this beautiful part of the world.
        You know, Christie Todd talked
    about Teddy Roosevelt, and I--every morning when I go to the Oval
    Office, I sit at the same desk he used as well as Franklin Roosevelt as
    well as other Presidents. But the guy who wrote the book ``Theodore
    Rex,'' Edmund Morris, came in, took a look at the Oval Office, and said,
    ``You know, Teddy Roosevelt sat there.'' And it reminds me of what a
    huge responsibility I have. And I'm grateful for that.
        And it also amazes me that in this very park, Teddy Roosevelt used
    to hang out. It was here that he formed a lot of his views, and I can
    see why. These parks helped shape his view of conservation, which had a
    significant impact on our park system here in America--eventually helped
    with the beginning of a park system that is worthy of protection and
    worthy of our focus and attention.
        Thousands of acres in the Adirondacks are unchanged. And it's
    important for people to realize why: Not because they were neglected but
    because people have cared for the acreage; not because people have said,
    ``Well, let's just let it sit;'' it's because there have been thousands
    of man-hours put into this area to make it work for the good of all. And
    that's important for people to realize.
        Generations of New Yorkers have made a commitment and have said
    this: ``Tread lightly here, and make sure we place sensible limits on
    the reach of development.'' And that's what's happened. Here we see good
    stewardship in action. The Adirondack Park is among the first protected
    wilderness areas in our country. Yet, this land is also home to many, a
    place to work, a sanctuary for visitors who come here to appreciate the
    peace and beauty they can find here.
        In the north country of New York, you have chosen the way of
    cooperation. Private organizations, land owners, government at all
    levels are working with each other as opposed to against each other. And
    for those who care deeply about our environment and our country, the
    lessons learned here are essential. And that is, we must cooperate, we
    must work together. It is a standard for good conservation being set
    here, and I'm here to herald it and thank you all.
        The Adirondack Park also depends upon the work of volunteers. And
    for those of you who volunteer here, I want to thank you, as do--those
    who work here thank you as well. You give your time for an incredibly
    worthy cause. You help maintain the place so that future generations can
    use it and know it like you have known it. You protect the wildlife so
    they have room to roam and a place to live. I was most impressed by
    how--by the discussion of the beaver dams and the care for not only the
    trail system but for the beavers, themselves. It was an understanding of
    the importance of good stewardship.
        The other thing the volunteers do is they welcome people here--after
    all, this is the people's land; this isn't one person's land; it's the
    people's land--inform visitors about the mountains so they can enjoy
    their time and leave only footprints behind.
        All together, 200,000 Americans lend their time to the care of our
    national parks and Federal lands, and that's impressive. The commitment
    they show is more than good stewardship; it is responsible citizenship.
        Not only do people have responsibility, obviously, but so does your
    Government.

    [[Page 647]]

    And the Federal Government has got a big responsibility, and I
    understand that. And I accept the responsibilities of our Government.
    For three decades, we've acted with clear purpose to prevent needless
    and, at times, reckless disregard of the air and the water and the soil
    and the wildlife. This commitment has yielded tremendous progress. Our
    lakes and rivers are much cleaner than they were on the first Earth Day.
        Limits on toxic emissions have greatly improved the quality of the
    air we breathe. The Clean Air Act has helped reduce acid rain and urban
    air pollution. We've done all this at a time when our economy and
    population grew dramatically. We have shown that we can expand our
    economy for the good of all of us, while also being good and
    conscientious stewards of the environment. And that's an important
    lesson. Americans can be proud of these achievements.
        We also see there is work ahead. The Federal Government should do
    more to assist the States and communities in promoting conservation. I
    have made it my goal of my administration to revitalize the Land and
    Water Conservation Fund, particularly the grants it provides to States
    and local communities. The fund was created to help acquire, conserve,
    and improve recreational facilities on public lands. Yet in recent
    years, the Federal Government has fallen way short of meeting this
    commitment. So I've asked Congress to increase the fund's State grants
    by 38 percent, to make sure that the States get their share of the
    money, as the authors of the law intended. This will allow for more
    innovative conservation approaches, such as the ones led by George
    Pataki and other Governors and other local
    officials around the country.
        May probably not come as much of a surprise to you, but I don't
    believe all wisdom resides in Washington, DC. I think the people closest
    to the land are those who probably love the land more than folks in
    Washington, DC. And this is a way to make sure that power and money get
    out of Washington, for the good of the environment.
        I also call for new clear skies legislation, to set new tough
    standards to reduce air pollution. For decades, New Yorkers have been
    fighting acid rain. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments helped reduce the
    problem. And now we should do more at the Federal level. Some of the
    biggest sources of air pollution are the powerplants, which send tons of
    emissions into our air. Therefore we have set a goal: With clear skies
    legislation, America will do more to reduce powerplant emissions than
    ever before in our Nation's history.
        We will reach our ambitious air quality goals through a market-based
    approach that rewards innovation, reduces cost, and most importantly,
    guarantees results. Mine is a results-oriented administration. When we
    say we expect results, we mean it. We will set mandatory limits on air
    pollution, with firm deadlines, while giving companies the flexibility
    to find the best ways to meet the mandatory limits.
        Clear skies legislation, when passed by Congress, will significantly
    reduce smog and mercury emissions as well as stop acid rain. It will put
    more money directly into programs to reduce pollution, so as to meet
    firm national air quality goals and put less money into the pockets of
    lawyers and regulators.
        My administration will foster technologies that I'm absolutely
    convinced will change America for the better. We will promote innovative
    ways to encourage conservation. I believe we'll be driving automobiles
    driven by fuel cells in a relatively short period of time, and we're
    promoting that technology. I know we need to promote renewable sources
    of energy to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
        We also must encourage natural resource restoration, and one good
    place to start is in the farm bill that's right now before

    [[Page 648]]

    Congress. Good stewardship is the daily work of America's farmers and
    those who own the land. I like to tell people, Laura and I are proud to
    be Texas--own a Texas ranch, and for us, every day is Earth Day. If you
    own your own land, every day is Earth Day. If you have to make a living
    off your land, it's important to make your land as productive as is
    possible. Every day is Earth Day. And so, therefore, I support--strongly
    support a strong farm conservation effort in the farm bill before the
    Congress. With more funding and incentives for conservation, we can help
    our farmers preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat and to better protect
    water quality.
        Americans have reached a great consensus about the protection on the
    environment; we've come to understand the success of a generation is not
    defined by wealth alone. We want to be remembered for our material
    progress, no question about it, but we also want to be remembered for
    the respect we give to our natural world.
        This Earth Day finds us on the right path, gaining in appreciation
    for the world in our care. Each of you here today is doing your part to
    advance that work and to spread this spirit. And on behalf of our
    country, I want to thank you.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:27 p.m. at Whiteface Mountain Ski Lodge.
    In his remarks, he referred to Steven J. McCormick, president and chief
    executive officer, Nature Conservancy. The Office of the Press Secretary
    also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.