[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9135--MAY 30, 2014

Proclamation 9135 of May 30, 2014

Great Outdoors Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On windswept coastlines, in lush forests, and atop striking mountain
peaks, Americans take in sights that have inspired generations. Our
natural landscapes provide refuge for those seeking solitude. They at

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tract tourism, create jobs, and honor our history and cultural heritage.
They are family campgrounds, arenas for recreation, and backdrops for
countless adventures. During Great Outdoors Month, we celebrate the
rugged beauty that echoes the independence at the heart of the American
spirit, and we rededicate ourselves to protecting these open spaces for
tomorrow's explorers, athletes, and lovers of nature.
America's conservation legacy is rooted not only in its forward-thinking
leaders like Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore
Roosevelt--but also in all the Americans who did their part to safeguard
a small slice of the land they love. It falls to each of us to advance
their legacy in our time. That is why I have permanently protected more
than 3 million acres of public land--including 11 new National Monuments
established through the Antiquities Act and new wilderness areas in nine
States across the country--and designated more than a thousand miles of
wild and scenic rivers. In my first term, I was proud to launch the
America's Great Outdoors Initiative, which increases access to public
lands and empowers Americans to better care for the parks, waterways,
and natural treasures in their own communities.
My Administration remains committed to developing the next generation of
environmental stewards. We created the 21st Century Conservation Service
Corps, which provides quality jobs, career pathways, and service
opportunities for young people and veterans. We are working to bring
public lands into the classroom and to extend educational opportunities
to millions of children. And through First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's
Move Outside! initiative, we are encouraging children to get active
while getting to know the great outdoors.
This month, as we enjoy the natural splendor of our Nation, let us stay
true to a uniquely American idea--that each of us has an equal stake in
the land around us, and an equal responsibility to protect it. Together,
let us ensure our children and grandchildren will be able to look upon
our lands with the same sense of wonder as all the generations that came
before.
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 June 2014 as Great
Outdoors Month. I urge all Americans to explore the great outdoors and
to uphold our Nation's legacy of conserving our lands and waters.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA