[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 16 (Monday, April 21, 2003)]
[Pages 451-452]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7665--National Park Week, 2003

 April 18, 2003

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    America is a land of majestic beauty, and we are blessed with 
immeasurable natural wealth. Americans are united in the belief that we 
must preserve this treasured heritage and conserve these natural 
resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people.
    As a Nation, we can be proud of our diverse parklands, ranging from 
the rugged wilderness of snow-capped mountains, thick forests, sweeping 
desert sands, and remote canyons to national symbols such as the Statue 
of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial. Our National Park Service has a 
long and important history. In 1864, the Federal Government ensured a 
grand natural landscape for generations to come when it designated 
Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias to be ``held 
for public use, resort, and recreation . . . inalienable for all time.'' 
Eight years later in 1872, the Congress created the first national park 
in the Yellowstone region of the Territories of Montana and Wyoming. 
Finally, in 1916, the National Park Service was established to 
efficiently administer our growing number of parks, which today includes 
388 national parks on more than 84 million acres of public lands. These 
lands continue to be cherished by all our citizens.
    The full and safe enjoyment of our national parks depends on 
dedicated National Park Service employees and thousands of people who 
volunteer their time to conserve these sites. This year's theme for 
National Park Week, ``Celebrating Volunteers,'' recognizes their 
valuable contributions to conserving and maintaining our natural, 
cultural, and historical heritage.
    Across the country, my Administration is promoting volunteer 
service, encouraging public-private partnerships, and advocating 
community-based interest in our national parks. We are committed to 
ensuring that our land is conserved, our air is clean, our water is 
pure, and our parks are open and accessible to all Americans. Recently, 
my Administration re-launched Take Pride in America, a national 
partnership that engages volunteers from every corner of America to 
enhance our parks and other public lands. As part of the USA Freedom 
Corps initiative, Take Pride in America will encourage more Americans to 
take part in volunteer service opportunities available on public lands.
    My Administration has also supported improvements in park management 
and is working to reduce the park maintenance backlog. My fiscal year 
2004 budget includes over $1 billion to reduce the maintenance backlog, 
an increase of $180 million over last year's request, along with $76 
million, a $9 million increase over last year's request, for the 
National Park Service Natural Resource Challenge to monitor ``vital 
signs'' of conditions in our parks. This initiative will help conserve 
native species and habitats, maintain our natural resources, eradicate 
invasive species, and provide the public with information about 
resources in our parks. In addition, my Administration has developed the 
website www.recreation.gov, which is a user-

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friendly way to obtain information about recreational opportunities in 
the national parks and other public recreation sites.
    As we observe National Park Week, I encourage all citizens to 
explore our national parks and to commit to the conservation and 
stewardship of these timeless treasures. By working together, we can 
ensure that these special places thrive for generations to come.
     Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States 
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 21 through April 
27, 2003, as National Park Week. I call upon the people of the United 
States to join me in recognizing the importance of our national parks 
and to learn more about these areas of beauty, their historical 
significance, and the many ways citizens can volunteer to help preserve 
these precious resources.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day 
of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
seventh.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., April 22, 
2003]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
April 23.