[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8421--SEPT. 22, 2009

Proclamation 8421 of September 22, 2009
National Hunting and Fishing Day, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

From atop Pikes Peak to the shores of the James River, Americans
celebrate the great abundance and utility of our natural resources.
Since our Nation's founding, hunters and anglers have cherished these
unparalleled natural gifts and marveled at their untamed beauty.
National Hunting and Fishing Day recognizes the contributions of
millions of Americans who continue to engage in these ageless pursuits.
Following in the centuries-old footsteps of the pioneers who walked
before them, hunters and anglers have played a key role in the
conservation and restoration of numerous species and their natural
habitats. They not only understand their pivotal role as stewards of the
land, but also seek to pass on this honored tradition to future
generations.
As our citizens continue to enjoy our Nation's natural resources, we
must remember that this privilege brings great responsibility. Not long
ago, hunting threatened the extinction of the American Bison, an
enduring symbol of the American West. Today, their population has
recovered because of the cooperative efforts of conservationists and
hunters. Many species, however, still require our protection. We can no
longer look to our wilderness, as some once did, as land full of
unlimited bounty and surplus. Recognizing the need for conservation, our
hunters and anglers have worked hard to manage local ecosystems

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where wildlife remain, as well as to protect those areas where they are
slowly re-establishing viable populations.
Our national character, always evolving, finds its foundation in those
timeless American ideals of freedom, fairness, and self-sustainability.
Today's hunters and anglers bring this spirit to life in the forests and
streams they visit. If not for America's great hunters and anglers, like
President Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold, our Nation would not
enjoy sound game management; a system of ethical, science-based game
laws; and an extensive public lands estate on which to pursue the
sports. On National Hunting and Fishing Day, we celebrate their
contributions to our natural environment and our national heritage.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 26, 2009, as
National Hunting and Fishing Day. I call upon the people of the United
States to recognize this day with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day
of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fourth.
BARACK OBAMA