    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [April 21, 2005]
    [Pages 650-652]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting the President's Environmental Youth Awards
    April 21, 2005

        The President. Thank you all. Please be seated. Welcome to the White
    House. I'm sorry we're not out in the gardens today but a pretty good
    place to have a visit, anyway, isn't it, the East Room? We're glad
    you're here. I want to welcome you as we honor some fine young stewards
    of our environment and to recognize their achievements.
        All of you have given your time and energy to preserving our natural
    spaces. You're setting such a fine example, and we appreciate the
    example. And today is our chance to tell you how proud we are of your
    good work.
        I want to thank Steve Johnson, who is
    the Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. I put
    this good man's nomination in front of the United States Senate for a
    reason, because he's plenty capable of doing the job, and now is the
    time for the United States Senate to confirm him. I'm proud that his
    wife, Debbie, is here, and Matt.

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        I want to thank my friend Congressman Vito Fossella, who has joined us. Congressman, thank you for being here.
        We welcome all the EPA Regional Administrators, particularly those
    Administrators from the great State of Texas. [Laughter]
        This week is National Volunteer Week, and we honor the 64 million
    Americans who volunteer and encourage others to join them. Since taking
    office, I have asked Americans to take an active role in serving their
    communities by dedicating 4,000 hours, or 2 years, over the course of
    their lives to helping others. In order to encourage people to help, I
    started the USA Freedom Corps, and that's a web site that match
    potential volunteers with opportunities to volunteer at the local level.
    And if you want to find out more about the web site, the USA Freedom
    Corps web site, go to www.usafreedomcorps.gov.
        The 30 young men and women we honor here today in the White House
    answered the call to service. They know they have a responsibility to be
    citizens, not spectators, and that by serving a cause larger than
    themselves, communities grow stronger. One of the greatest
    responsibilities in a free society is responsible stewardship of our
    natural environment. All of you have taken that duty seriously. You have
    set a clear and strong example, and you're inspiring others to do their
    part.
        Tomorrow I'm going to Tennessee, in honor of Earth Day, to help
    volunteers restore the trails at Cades Cove. I'm looking forward to
    getting my hands dirty--[laughter]--looking forward to getting outside
    of Washington. [Laughter]
        As volunteers, you've put your talents to good use. In Cairo,
    Georgia, you set up a science camp to promote recycling. In St. Paul,
    Virginia, you helped restore a newly named wetland and made it an
    outdoor classroom. In Oklahoma and California, you cleaned up debris
    around local creeks. You built nesting boxes to protect local birds in
    Staten Island, New York. You improved trout habitats in Hyrum, Utah. You
    started a project for the Fender's blue butterfly in Salem, Oregon. You
    spearheaded a public education program to protect a stream near
    Cleveland, Ohio. You planted a beech tree at an elementary school in
    Middletown, Rhode Island. And you taught schoolchildren about
    groundwaters in Lincoln, Nebraska.

        Each of these acts touched a community, and together they are
    improving our Nation. All of you are meeting your responsibility to our
    country's natural spaces, and our Government is doing the same.
    America's air and water are cleaner today than they were in 2001. My
    budget for the coming year fulfills my commitment in 2001 to spend $4.9
    billion over 5 years to improve our national parks and to make our parks
    more inviting and accessible to all Americans.

        We're implementing the Clear Skies rule to cut powerplant emissions
    by 70 percent. Under the farm bill I signed in 2002, we will provide $40
    billion over 10 years to help our farmers and ranchers protect wetlands,
    water quality, and wildlife habitats. I've pledged to restore, improve,
    and protect 3 million acres of wetlands over the next 5 years. To
    safeguard our forests and woodlands against fire damage, I've signed the
    Healthy Forest Restoration Act. And since I took office, the Departments
    of Interior and Agriculture have removed hazardous fuels from more than
    10 million acres of Federal land.

        Across America, we're working with State and local governments to
    accelerate the cleanup and redevelopment of old industrial sites. We're
    working hard to improve our environment, and so are you. Each of you
    here today has worked hard. You've been idealistic in the right way, and
    you've been dedicated. I know your parents are proud of you. Your
    communities are proud of you, and so is your President.

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        So it is now my great honor to welcome the 2005 winners of the
    President's Environmental Youth Awards. The Acting Administrator will do
    the duties.

    [At this point, Acting Administrator Stephen L. Johnson introduced the
    award recipients from each region, and the President congratulated
    them.]

        The President. Listen, thank you all for coming. We're proud to have
    you here in the White House. I want to welcome and congratulate our
    students again. I really want to welcome your parents too. You've done a
    good job. And I want to thank your teachers. Teaching is a noble
    profession. We hope you enjoy the White House as much as Laura and I do.
        God bless you all. Welcome.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:27 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Deborah Johnson, wife of Acting
    Administrator Johnson, and their son, Matthew Johnson.