[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 17 (Monday, April 30, 2001)]
[Pages 658-659]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Environmental Youth Award Winners

April 24, 2001

    Thank you all very much. It's my honor to be here. First, Christie 
Todd, you're doing a great job. I knew I was going to pick--I knew she 
was going to do a great job when I picked her. I didn't realize how 
good. And she really is--I'm proud to have her on my team.
    I want to thank the parents who are here. I know it's a proud moment 
for you, and it should be. It means you've done your job.
    I always like to remind folks who are lucky enough to have a child, 
the most important job you'll ever have is to love your children and to 
be a good mom and dad. I want to thank the sponsors who are here, and I 
look forward to thanking you all personally after this brief speech. 
[Laughter] Please don't break out in applause. [Laughter]
    The Congress is back, and it's good to see three fine Members of the 
Congress here. I thank you guys for coming: Zach Wamp of Tennessee, Mark 
Kirk of Illinois, and Wally Herger of California. Thank you guys for 
being here. I know you're here to represent your constituents, and I 
know you're proud of your constituents, just like we are, as well.
    But most particularly, I want to thank the winners. I had the 
opportunity of having my picture taken with the winners, and it looks 
like I might have a chance to have a few more after this is over. 
[Laughter] Right, guy? [Laughter]
    For three decades now, the Environmental Protection Agency has 
helped to carry out our national commitment to the wise care of the 
environment. The agency has worked with many private citizens who 
understand that each have a duty to be good stewards of the land and 
life around us. And that's what we're honoring today.
    Interesting thing is, is that we're honoring youngsters. You would 
think that the old folks would be the ones leading the charge in America 
and many places. But it's our young who are doing so, particularly when 
it comes to cleaning up the environment, and for that we're grateful. It 
really does speak to a great future for America, I think.
    And rather than going through all the impressive accomplishments, 
just like Christie Todd did, I do want to talk a little bit about good 
environmental policy. It starts with a commitment. And my administration 
has a commitment to clean air and clean water and good soils.
    Laura and I are fortunate enough to own a ranch in central Texas. I 
like to remind everybody that if you own your own land, every day is 
Earth Day. If you live off the land--the people who care more about that 
than the people who live off the land--the reason I bring that up is 
because I want--a good policy understands the proper role of the Federal 
Government. The proper role of the Federal Government is to set high 
standards, to set goals, but it's to work with local folks to achieve 
those goals.
    Not all wisdom is in Washington, DC, as witnessed by what took place 
up here. All of us in Washington don't have all of the answers to all of 
the problems. Our job is to work in a collaborative way with people at 
the local level. As Christie Todd said, we'll fund more, and we will.
    We've got money in our budget to fully fund the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund for the first time. It says we'll work with local 
folks to set aside lands that need to be protected. We've got money in 
our budgets to repair the national parks. Here, the Federal Government 
is talking about a clean world and a clean environment, and yet we're 
not even keeping our own parks; we're not fulfilling our own 
responsibilities. It seems like to me, if we want to set a good example 
for the rest of the country, we've got to take care of what we're--over 
which we're in charge. And we're going to do so at the Federal level.
    We've got some regulatory policy in place that makes sense. But it 
says we're going to make decisions based upon sound science, not some 
environmental fad or what may sound good--that we're going to rely upon 
the best of evidence before we decide.
    Ours is a policy that truly believes that technologies have advanced 
to the point where we can have economic growth and sound environmental 
policy go hand in hand. Oh, there's a lot of talk recently about energy. 
And for those of you in California, you know we need more energy. For 
those of

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you who are living in the biggest State in our Union, who have suffered 
blackouts--and some of us think there may be more blackouts coming--
we've got to come up with an energy policy for America. But I firmly 
believe we can do so and protect the environment.
    The whole world doesn't have to be zero-sum. It doesn't have to be 
that we find more energy, and therefore, the environment suffers. You 
see, we've got technologies available now to make sure that we explore 
and protect the environment at the same time, and we need to do that. We 
need to be good stewards of the land.
    But we've also got to understand, if we don't bring more natural gas 
to the markets, we're going to have blackouts. We've also got to 
understand, in order to power the power-generating plants that are now 
being built in California, we need more energy. And I want to assure the 
young up here that this is an administration committed to good, sound 
policy. And it's an administration that firmly believes that the 
technologies are developed to the point where we can be good stewards of 
the land and, at the same time, bring the energy to market that we need.
    We'll base decisions on sound science. We'll call upon the best 
minds of America to help us achieve an objective, not only here at home 
but around the world, which is: cleaner air, cleaner water, and better 
use of our land.
    It's such a wonderful inspiration to see the young of America 
standing up here who are setting a good example for all of us. And so, 
on behalf of our Government and the American people, I want to 
congratulate the winners, their parents, and their sponsors.
    God bless you all, and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 3:15 p.m. in the State Dining Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to Environmental Protection 
Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman.