[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 17 (Monday, April 29, 2002)]
[Pages 669-672]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Earth Day in Wilmington, New York

April 22, 2002

    Well, thank you for that warm welcome on a snowy day. [Laughter] We 
had a great time in the park, and I want to thank you all very much for 
giving me the opportunity to hammer and stack, place gravel--
[laughter]--in a beautiful part of the world. This is quite a sight for 
a fellow from Texas. [Laughter] It's quite a sight for anybody in 
America. And George is right, this is some of the most beautiful country 
in our entire Nation.
    I want to thank you all very much for welcoming me here on Earth 
Day, a day every spring when America can reflect on our natural world 
and our duties as Americans to do everything we can to promote the 
spirit of Earth Day. We have a duty in our country to make sure our land 
is preserved, our air is clean, our water is pure, our parks are 
accessible and open and well-preserved. And that's why I'm here, to 
trumpet this duty and to thank those who assume their duty.
    I firmly believe that the--32 years after Earth Day, America 
understands our obligation much more so than in the years past, that we 
must be careful of our actions. Americans understand that. Good 
stewardship is a personal responsibility of all of us, and it's a public 
value. And that's what's important for Americans to understand, that 
each of us have a responsibility, and it's a part of our

[[Page 670]]

value system in our country to assume that responsibility.
    Somebody who understands that is the Governor of the State of New 
York, George Pataki. He's a great Governor; he's a good friend. He 
wields a pretty mean hammer. [Laughter] I'm proud to call him friend. 
And I know the people of New York are proud to call him Governor. He's 
the kind of fellow who does in office that which he says he's going to 
do. It doesn't matter what your political party is, as far as I'm 
concerned. What matters is--in this case, what matters is that he does--
he kind of defeats cynicism by performing. And therefore, what I was 
going to say is, it doesn't matter what your party is; you've got to 
admire that in a man.
    I also appreciate Christie Todd Whitman's service to the country. 
Pataki, me, and Christie Todd were all Governors at one time or another 
and got to know each other. I knew she was a very good Governor of New 
Jersey and she'd be a great Administrator of the EPA, and she hasn't let 
me down.
    I want to thank Congressman Sherry Boehlert and John McHugh and John 
Sweeney for being here as well, the three Congressmen; thank you all for 
coming. David Skovron of the--chairman of the Adirondack Council, I want 
to thank you, David, wherever you are. I want to thank Steve McCormick 
of the Nature Conservancy. I appreciate the good work of the Nature 
Conservancy. It's a fantastic organization that's doing America a lot of 
good. I want to thank the members of AmeriCorps. I want to thank the 
Student Conservation Association, particularly its leadership, the 
sergeants. I want to thank the Adirondack Council, the Adirondack Park 
Agency, and all the good folks here who care about the environment and 
who care about this beautiful part of the world.
    You know, Christie Todd talked about Teddy Roosevelt, and I--every 
morning when I go to the Oval Office, I sit at the same desk he used as 
well as Franklin Roosevelt as well as other Presidents. But the guy who 
wrote the book ``Theodore Rex,'' Edmund Morris, came in, took a look at 
the Oval Office, and said, ``You know, Teddy Roosevelt sat there.'' And 
it reminds me of what a huge responsibility I have. And I'm grateful for 
that.
    And it also amazes me that in this very park, Teddy Roosevelt used 
to hang out. It was here that he formed a lot of his views, and I can 
see why. These parks helped shape his view of conservation, which had a 
significant impact on our park system here in America--eventually helped 
with the beginning of a park system that is worthy of protection and 
worthy of our focus and attention.
    Thousands of acres in the Adirondacks are unchanged. And it's 
important for people to realize why: Not because they were neglected but 
because people have cared for the acreage; not because people have said, 
``Well, let's just let it sit;'' it's because there have been thousands 
of man-hours put into this area to make it work for the good of all. And 
that's important for people to realize.
    Generations of New Yorkers have made a commitment and have said 
this: ``Tread lightly here, and make sure we place sensible limits on 
the reach of development.'' And that's what's happened. Here we see good 
stewardship in action. The Adirondack Park is among the first protected 
wilderness areas in our country. Yet, this land is also home to many, a 
place to work, a sanctuary for visitors who come here to appreciate the 
peace and beauty they can find here.
    In the north country of New York, you have chosen the way of 
cooperation. Private organizations, land owners, government at all 
levels are working with each other as opposed to against each other. And 
for those who care deeply about our environment and our country, the 
lessons learned here are essential. And that is, we must cooperate, we 
must work together. It is a standard for good conservation being set 
here, and I'm here to herald it and thank you all.
    The Adirondack Park also depends upon the work of volunteers. And 
for those of you who volunteer here, I want to thank you, as do--those 
who work here thank you as well. You give your time for an incredibly 
worthy cause. You help maintain the place so that future generations can 
use it and know it like you have known it. You protect the wildlife so 
they have room to roam and a place to live. I was most impressed by 
how--by the discussion of the beaver dams and the care

[[Page 671]]

for not only the trail system but for the beavers, themselves. It was an 
understanding of the importance of good stewardship.
    The other thing the volunteers do is they welcome people here--after 
all, this is the people's land; this isn't one person's land; it's the 
people's land--inform visitors about the mountains so they can enjoy 
their time and leave only footprints behind.
    All together, 200,000 Americans lend their time to the care of our 
national parks and Federal lands, and that's impressive. The commitment 
they show is more than good stewardship; it is responsible citizenship.
    Not only do people have responsibility, obviously, but so does your 
Government. And the Federal Government has got a big responsibility, and 
I understand that. And I accept the responsibilities of our Government. 
For three decades, we've acted with clear purpose to prevent needless 
and, at times, reckless disregard of the air and the water and the soil 
and the wildlife. This commitment has yielded tremendous progress. Our 
lakes and rivers are much cleaner than they were on the first Earth Day.
    Limits on toxic emissions have greatly improved the quality of the 
air we breathe. The Clean Air Act has helped reduce acid rain and urban 
air pollution. We've done all this at a time when our economy and 
population grew dramatically. We have shown that we can expand our 
economy for the good of all of us, while also being good and 
conscientious stewards of the environment. And that's an important 
lesson. Americans can be proud of these achievements.
    We also see there is work ahead. The Federal Government should do 
more to assist the States and communities in promoting conservation. I 
have made it my goal of my administration to revitalize the Land and 
Water Conservation Fund, particularly the grants it provides to States 
and local communities. The fund was created to help acquire, conserve, 
and improve recreational facilities on public lands. Yet in recent 
years, the Federal Government has fallen way short of meeting this 
commitment. So I've asked Congress to increase the fund's State grants 
by 38 percent, to make sure that the States get their share of the 
money, as the authors of the law intended. This will allow for more 
innovative conservation approaches, such as the ones led by George 
Pataki and other Governors and other local officials around the country.
    May probably not come as much of a surprise to you, but I don't 
believe all wisdom resides in Washington, DC. I think the people closest 
to the land are those who probably love the land more than folks in 
Washington, DC. And this is a way to make sure that power and money get 
out of Washington, for the good of the environment.
    I also call for new clear skies legislation, to set new tough 
standards to reduce air pollution. For decades, New Yorkers have been 
fighting acid rain. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments helped reduce the 
problem. And now we should do more at the Federal level. Some of the 
biggest sources of air pollution are the powerplants, which send tons of 
emissions into our air. Therefore we have set a goal: With clear skies 
legislation, America will do more to reduce powerplant emissions than 
ever before in our Nation's history.
    We will reach our ambitious air quality goals through a market-based 
approach that rewards innovation, reduces cost, and most importantly, 
guarantees results. Mine is a results-oriented administration. When we 
say we expect results, we mean it. We will set mandatory limits on air 
pollution, with firm deadlines, while giving companies the flexibility 
to find the best ways to meet the mandatory limits.
    Clear skies legislation, when passed by Congress, will significantly 
reduce smog and mercury emissions as well as stop acid rain. It will put 
more money directly into programs to reduce pollution, so as to meet 
firm national air quality goals and put less money into the pockets of 
lawyers and regulators.
    My administration will foster technologies that I'm absolutely 
convinced will change America for the better. We will promote innovative 
ways to encourage conservation. I believe we'll be driving automobiles 
driven by fuel cells in a relatively short period of time, and we're 
promoting that technology. I know we need to promote renewable sources 
of energy to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
    We also must encourage natural resource restoration, and one good 
place to start is

[[Page 672]]

in the farm bill that's right now before Congress. Good stewardship is 
the daily work of America's farmers and those who own the land. I like 
to tell people, Laura and I are proud to be Texas--own a Texas ranch, 
and for us, every day is Earth Day. If you own your own land, every day 
is Earth Day. If you have to make a living off your land, it's important 
to make your land as productive as is possible. Every day is Earth Day. 
And so, therefore, I support--strongly support a strong farm 
conservation effort in the farm bill before the Congress. With more 
funding and incentives for conservation, we can help our farmers 
preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat and to better protect water 
quality.
    Americans have reached a great consensus about the protection on the 
environment; we've come to understand the success of a generation is not 
defined by wealth alone. We want to be remembered for our material 
progress, no question about it, but we also want to be remembered for 
the respect we give to our natural world.
    This Earth Day finds us on the right path, gaining in appreciation 
for the world in our care. Each of you here today is doing your part to 
advance that work and to spread this spirit. And on behalf of our 
country, I want to thank you.
    May God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:27 p.m. at Whiteface Mountain Ski Lodge. 
In his remarks, he referred to Steven J. McCormick, president and chief 
executive officer, Nature Conservancy. The Office of the Press Secretary 
also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.