[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9456 of May 31, 2016

Great Outdoors Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Every day, Americans draw inspiration from the landscapes and outdoor
spaces that surround us and connect us with our heritage and with one
another. People have lived off of these lands and waters throughout
history, and today, they continue to enrich our national experience. In
June, we celebrate America's natural and cultural treasures and rich
bounty of resources, and we recommit to upholding our responsibility, as
those who came before us did, to ensure they are sustained for those who
will inherit them.
From dense forests and vast deserts to lakes and rivers teeming with
wildlife, our National Parks and other public spaces belong to all of
us. That is why I have sought to protect places that are culturally and
historically significant and that reflect the story of all our people.
My Administration has also worked hard to ensure that everyone has the
chance to easily visit and enjoy these spectacular areas. All Americans
can explore the parks and monuments we share as our birthright, in

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cluding through the ``Find Your Park'' campaign, which my Administration
established to help connect people from all walks of life with new
outdoor destinations and experiences. We also established the ``Every
Kid in a Park'' initiative, offering free access to our National Parks
and other public lands and waters for an entire year to fourth grade
students and their families. And by increasing funding for the 21st
Century Conservation Service Corps, we are striving to give more
Americans hands-on opportunities to restore, enhance, and give back to
the outdoor spaces that have given us so much.
Our experiences in nature remind us how fragile our ecosystems can be
and of our obligation to protect them. That is why I am proud to have
set aside more than 265 million acres of public lands and waters--more
than any President in our history--and why my Administration has taken
unprecedented action to tackle climate change. The planet and its
natural beauty are changing as rising temperatures fuel the melting of
glaciers and the increasing intensity of extreme weather events,
including longer wildfire seasons and deeper droughts, and as seas rise,
coastal communities face greater threats from flooding and eroding
shorelines. It is within our power to address the peril of climate
change, and we must act before it is too late.
During Great Outdoors Month, let us enjoy our Nation's natural bounty,
whether in reflective solitude or in the energizing company of friends
and family. As we rediscover the beauty of the outdoors--in our own
backyards, along distant trails, or in the shadows of towering
mountains--let us rededicate ourselves to preserving nature's splendor
for future generations.
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 2016 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 thirty-first day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA