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

 
Proclamation 9475 of August 22, 2016

100th Anniversary of the National Park Service

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In 1872, the Congress established Yellowstone National Park--the first
park of its kind anywhere in the world. Decades later, the passage of
the Antiquities Act in 1906 created our first national historic
preservation policy. Under this new authority, and heavily inspired by
his time

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in nature with conservationist John Muir, President Theodore Roosevelt
set aside 18 new monuments and landmarks, adding to the scattered
collection of existing parks throughout our country. One decade later,
in order to provide the leadership necessary for maintaining our growing
system of parks, the Congress passed monumental legislation--which
President Woodrow Wilson signed on August 25, 1916--to create the
National Park Service (NPS). All existing National Parks were placed
under the management of the NPS, ushering in a new era of conservation,
exploration, and discovery--and securing, throughout the century that
would follow, the profound legacy of an interconnected system of natural
wonders.
Over the course of the past 100 years, our national park system has
grown to include more than 400 locations across our country. Ranging
from seashores to waterfalls, winding trails to rugged mountains,
historic battlefields to monuments and memorials, every treasured site
under the NPS is uniquely American. Our parks play a critical role in
environmental stewardship, ensuring that precious wildlife can thrive
and that ecosystems can provide the many benefits on which we depend.
They have sustained the stories and cultures that define the American
experience, and they embody the people and movements that distinguish
our Nation's journey.
As we reflect on the many natural and cultural gifts that our National
Parks provide, we must also look to the next century and pledge to
secure our precious resources. That is why my Administration has
protected over 265 million acres of public lands and waters--more than
any Administration in history--and worked to save endangered and
vulnerable species and their vital habitats. Climate change poses the
biggest threat to our planet and our parks and is already dangerously
affecting park ecosystems and visitor experiences. It is imperative that
we rise to meet this challenge and continue leading the global fight
against climate change to ensure that our parks remain healthy for all
who will come after us.
Often called ``America's best idea,'' our National Parks belong to
Americans of all ages and backgrounds. NPS sites and their recreational,
educational, and public health benefits are our American birthright.
Last year, these sites welcomed more than 300 million visitors, and my
Administration is committed to helping all our people access and enjoy
these public lands and waters. Through our ``Every Kid in a Park''
initiative, we have made our National Parks free to fourth grade
students and their families so that more children, from any community or
walk of life, can spend time being active in our outdoor spaces while
learning about these natural treasures--something that First Lady
Michelle Obama has also advocated for through her Let's Move!
initiative. And through the Joining Forces initiative that she and Dr.
Jill Biden have championed, more of our troops and military families can
enjoy our National Parks. We must expand on these programs and increase
opportunities for people in underserved communities to experience the
great outdoors as well. The second century of the NPS will rely on the
support and engagement of young people who are visiting more parks
through the ``Find Your Park'' campaign, and we must encourage this
rising generation of Americans by inviting them to make their own
personal connections to the places that have shaped our history.

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NPS parks and programs strive to tell our diverse stories, allowing us
to learn from the past and help write our country's next great chapters.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service,
let us thank all those who--through their dedication to the mission of
the NPS--help our country build on the legacy left by all those who came
before us. As we look to the next century and embrace the notion that
preserving these public spaces in ways that engage, reflect, and honor
all Americans has never been more important, let us summon the foresight
and faith in the future to do what it takes to protect our National
Parks for generations to come.
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 August 25, 2016, as
the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. I invite all
Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and
activities that recognize the National Park Service for maintaining and
protecting our public lands for the continued benefit and enjoyment of
all Americans.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day
of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.
BARACK OBAMA