[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9258 of April 20, 2015

National Park Week, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's grandeur and God-given bounty are the birthright of all our
people. Our national parks, monuments, lands, and waters belong to us
all, and every person should be able to use and enjoy these unparalleled
public lands. To celebrate the places that make America great--the
treasures that writer and conservationist Wallace Stegner once called
``the geography of hope''--and to kick off National Park Week, this
weekend the National Park Service is offering free admission. I
encourage all people to explore our natural wonders and rediscover the
essential part of the American spirit they reflect.
As our Nation prepares to celebrate the centennial of the National Park
Service next year, my Administration is encouraging Americans to ``Find
Your Park'' all year long. America's public lands and waters are living
classrooms, active laboratories, and vast playgrounds, offering space to
get outside and be active. These places reflect our heritage and help
tell the stories about giants of our history and extraordinary chapters
of our past. They teach us about ourselves, rejuvenate our spirit, and
keep us connected to what it means to be American. They offer something
for everyone, and chances are, there is a National Park closer to you
than you think. To learn more, visit www.FindYourPark.com.
As President, I am committed to ensuring every child in America--
regardless of who they are or where they live--has this opportunity to
discover the great outdoor spaces that have inspired women and men for
generations. That is why earlier this year I launched the Every Kid in a
Park initiative, which will provide all fourth graders and their
families with free admission to our National Parks and other Federal
lands and waters for a full year. My Administration will also work to
make it easier for schools and families to plan trips to visit these
places of natural splendor, helping to ensure all our young people have

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the chance to experience for themselves some of our Nation's greatest
assets.
Americans are heirs to an extraordinary legacy of conservation and
environmental stewardship that has protected our great outdoors for the
use and benefit of all. We are blessed with the most beautiful
landscapes and waterscapes in the world, and it is our obligation to
make sure the next generation is able to enjoy that same bounty. I am
proud to have protected more than 260 million additional acres of public
lands and waters--more than any other President--which includes the
establishment or expansion of 16 National Monuments through my Executive
authority. And my Administration continues to take action to protect our
lands and waters from the impacts of climate change, and to support
important programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund that make
the outdoors easier to access for all people.
This week, we embrace our cherished lands and waters, and celebrate the
ways they enrich our Nation. Let us seize this opportunity to experience
all our great outdoors has to offer, and let us recommit to doing our
part to preserve these majestic places for all our children and
grandchildren.
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 April 18 through April
26, 2015, as National Park Week. I encourage all Americans to visit
their National Parks and be reminded of these unique blessings we share
as a Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA