[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 17 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Pages 666-669]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Earth Day in
Wells, Maine

April 22, 2004

    So great to be here, thanks. Gosh, my outlook improved dramatically 
the minute I stepped on this beautiful piece of land. Thanks for having 
me, and thanks for coming out to say hello. It's my honor to celebrate 
Earth Day with you in a State that I know pretty darn well, in a State 
that I love, in an area that I now realize I know well because it was 
right off the beach here that old Number 41 and I liked to try to catch 
striped bass. [Laughter] It's a pretty good place to fish around here.
    Before I start going on too long about Mother Earth, I do want to 
recognize my mother on Earth. Thanks for coming, Mom. I hope you're up 
the road making my bed. [Laughter]
    Earth Day has become a great tradition in our country. It's a day 
that reminds us that we must be good stewards of the land around us. 
That's what this day says to us, and we're lucky to live in America, 
because we're blessed with such unbelievable lands. As the President, 
I'm fortunate to be able to travel and see a lot of our beautiful 
Nation, whether it be from the--from Maine to the Big Sur in California 
or parts of the great State of Texas that are beautiful to look at too.
    The importance about Earth Day is, is that it reminds us that we 
can't take the natural wonders for granted. That's what Earth Day says 
to me, and I hope it says to you as well that we have responsibilities 
to the natural world to conserve that which we have and to make it even 
better. That's the call for Earth Day. In the years since Earth Day was 
established, America has made great strides in honoring the ideal of 
conservation and living by high standards of stewardship. We've made 
tremendous progress during the last 4 years. I have a responsibility as 
the President to put people in an administration that understands the 
importance of conserving our natural resources and making them better.
    My administration has put in place some of the most important anti-
pollution policies in a decade, policies that have reduced harmful 
emissions, reclaimed brownfields, cut phosphorus releases into our 
rivers and streams. Since 2001, the condition of America's land, air, 
and water has improved.
    Today I want to talk about wetlands. The old policy of wetlands was 
to limit the loss of wetlands. Today I'm going to announce a new policy 
and a new goal for our country. Instead of just limiting our losses, we 
will expand the wetlands of America.
    I appreciate Paul very much. He's a--obviously a good manager. First 
of all, he loves what he does. He cares deeply about the mission. He's 
got such a joyous smile on his face that he must be an easy fellow to 
work with. And I want to thank him for his hospitality. He didn't even 
complain about the size of my entourage or the imposition that we must 
have imposed on Paul and his great staff.
    I also want to thank the staff for working hard to make sure this 
slice of heaven is as beautiful as possible. I appreciate so very much 
State Senator Paul Davis joining us today--Senator. Yes, thanks for 
coming.
    I suspect there are some local officials who are here. Thanks for 
being here. I like to remind local officials to make sure that you empty 
the garbage and fill the potholes. [Laughter]
    I had the honor of meeting Ray and Becky Davis at the airport. 
They're local citizens. The reason I bring up Ray and Becky is because 
they're the parents of three sons who have--are now wearing the uniform 
of the United States Military: Sergeant Graham Davis, Marine Corps, 
thank you, sir--Private First Class Stewart Davis, who is now in 
Afghanistan. Make sure, Graham, that you--make sure you tell your 
brother, Stewart, and brother Bradley that the people not only applauded 
you, but they applauded them as well.
    I want to thank the Davis family for their steadfast support of 
working to secure this--of raising sons who are working hard to secure 
this country. These have been tough times for America, but we're doing 
the right thing. We're spreading freedom and peace so that our children 
can grow up in a peaceful world.
    What's interesting about this year's Earth Day is that it falls in 
the middle of National Volunteer Week. This week we honor the 64 million 
Americans who volunteer. And one

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of my responsibilities is to call people to a higher calling. If you're 
not volunteering, do so. It will make somebody else's life better, 
including your own. But what makes this beautiful part of the world go 
is the 400 volunteers who work here--the 400 volunteers who are 
exercising their responsibility as citizens to make this beautiful part 
of the world even more beautiful and more meaningful.
    And so, first, I want to thank all the volunteers who have taken 
time out of their life to make this such a special spot. Particularly, I 
want to thank Frank and Carol Heller. I met Frank and Carol at the 
airport when I landed here in Wells--in Sanford. And I gave them the 
President's Volunteer Service Award. I did so because of their strong 
commitment and work here, but I suspect they'll say they received the 
award on behalf of the other 398 people who make this such a special 
place. Thank you all for working hard here.
    And I saw firsthand why you like to come. It's 1,600 acres of salt 
marshes and beaches and forests and freshwater wetlands. The Wells 
Reserve is an example of how committed people come together to not only 
protect but to improve the environment. It's a good example of what I'm 
going to talk about here in a little bit.
    Community and corporate partners, along with the Federal Government, 
are working on the Drakes Island marsh restoration--community and 
corporate partners. In other words, in order to make sure the 
restoration works, it requires more than just Government. It requires a 
buy-in by community partners. It requires a buy-in by corporate America. 
See, corporate America has a responsibility to the communities in which 
they live. They've got the responsibility to tell the truth when it 
comes to their balance sheets, and they've got the responsibility to 
contribute to the quality of the communities in which they live.
    The Laudholm Farm, where so much environmental education and 
research takes place, is supported by a private trust. You support the 
private trust in Kennebunkport, don't you, Mom? So do I. Ray Bradbury--
we've got Bradbury's Market. [Laughter] The guy who owns it has put 
together a land conservation trust in Kennebunkport. We're proud 
supporters of it.
    In other words, citizens can make a significant difference in 
improving the quality of the environment, just like those who have done 
so at the Laudholm Farm. And at the Little Estuary, I saw the volunteers 
working on platforms that allow students and researchers to view the 
marsh to understand the marsh without harming the grasses or the 
shoreline.
    There are good people working together for this reserve, for the 
sake of wildlife, for the sake of understanding and knowledge, and for 
the sake of future generations of people who are fortunate enough to 
come here.
    The work you're doing here to preserve wetlands is an important part 
of a national commitment. For many years, our Nation has been working to 
prevent the net loss of wetlands, and there's a reason why. America's 
wetlands are the habitat for thousands of species of wildlife. Just hang 
out, out in these wetlands out here, and you'll know what I'm talking 
about.
    Up to half of all North American bird species nest or feed in 
wetlands. About half of all threatened and endangered species use 
wetlands. There's some endangered species using the wetlands right here 
on this piece of property. Our wetlands help to trap pollution. What I 
bet a lot of people don't understand is the wetlands help to clean the 
water as well. They reduce the impact of floods. Wetlands stabilize 
shore areas. As well wetlands provide recreational opportunities for 
guys like me who like to fish and for people like my wife who like to 
watch birds.
    Wetlands have been called the nurseries of life, and their well-
being is vital to the health of our environment. Three decades ago, the 
United States was losing almost 500,000 acres of wetlands each year. 
Americans understood that couldn't be sustained, and so the Nation began 
to take action. Every level of government, joined by landowners and 
conservationists, worked hard to turn the situation around. In other 
words, it took a collaborative effort of people who cared about the 
environment.
    Our Government began to provide substantial financial incentives for 
landowners to

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return farmland to wetlands. Taxpayer dollars have been matched by 
States and localities and conservation groups. It's the classic public-
private partnership for the good of the environment.
    Our national commitment to wetlands is showing good progress--really 
better than good progress when you think about the fact that we were 
losing a half-a-million acres a year not so many years ago.
    According to figures announced today by the Department of 
Agriculture, we have greatly reduced the annual loss of wetlands. And 
that's a positive development. We're nearing a longstanding goal of 
actually restoring as many acres of wetlands that are lost. The figures 
show that on agricultural lands, we've seen some gains for the first 
time, which leads me to believe we can do a better job in the Nation if 
we focus our attention.
    So today I'm committing our Government to a new policy. We will move 
beyond the no net loss of wetlands in America to having an overall 
increase of Americans' wetlands over the next 5 years.
    We can achieve this goal. It is a realistic goal. To do so, we will 
work to restore and to improve and to protect at least 3 million acres 
of wetlands over the next 5 years. First, we will restore at least one 
million acres of wetlands that do not exist today. Through expanded 
incentive and partnership measures such as the Department of Ag's 
Wetlands Reserve Program and through the new grants under the Interior 
Department's North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which, by the 
way, was signed by your husband, my dad.
    Listen, there's a lot of things we can do through these programs. We 
can set streams back on their natural courses, allowing wetlands to 
return. We can provide incentives to our farmers and ranchers to stop 
cultivating areas that were once wetlands and make them wetlands again.
    A good way to make sure we restore wetlands is to take those lands 
that were once wetlands and provide incentives to the landowners and 
say, ``Here's an opportunity for you to contribute to the increase of 
wetlands in America for the good of the country, for the good of the 
habitat of our country, for the good of the wildlife of our country.'' 
All these efforts will add to the beauty of our Nation and provide 
habitats for millions of birds and fish.
    Second, we will improve the quality of another million acres of 
existing wetlands through expanded public-private efforts such as the 
Interior Department's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. I know 
we've got some people from Fish and Wildlife here today. I want to thank 
you for serving you country so admirably. I appreciate your service.
    As well we will use NOAA's Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and 
Restoration Program. I know we've also got NOAA representatives here 
too. I thank you for coming, and thanks for your good work.
    Too many wetlands are degraded and can no longer support healthy 
wildlife populations, so they need to be restored to health. In other 
words, they need to be nurtured. They were once wetlands areas, and they 
need to be nurtured back to be a wetland.
    Tomorrow I'm going down to Florida. I'll be seeing Brother. I'll be 
glad to give him your best. [Laughter] And we're going to go to the 
Everglades. It's a great wetlands area. The problem is, is that the 
wetland--the Everglades have been invaded by a--by certain plant 
species, nonnative plants, that are going to choke out the wetlands.
    And so one of the things we're going to do is to encourage programs 
that will remove these invasive species so that native vegetation can 
return and the wetlands can be revitalized. In other words, we can 
restore wetlands so they function better, so they function as the 
Almighty wanted them to function in the first place. As they become 
healthier--[applause].
    And finally, we will protect an additional one million acres of 
wetlands that are currently at risk by increasing grants for land 
protection programs and by making it easier for farmers and other 
landowners to participate in these programs. We'll encourage these 
landowners to place easements on their wetlands, on the wetland portion 
of their property, so that migratory birds can rest on their long 
journey. In other words, with proper Government policy, we can encourage

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proper habits by private landowners to understand that they can do a 
better job with their land.
    We'll do the ducks and other birds a good turn by not only improving 
the lands--the wetlands but also the lands near the wetlands. It's one 
thing to have a good wetland, but they've got to have a place for the 
ducks to nest as well. And so the program is to be wise about the 
incentive programs we put in place. I'm confident these measures will be 
not only appreciated by people but by birds. [Laughter]
    To meet the goal of wetland expansion, the Government must commit 
money, and my administration is prepared to do so. The first thing we've 
done in the--2002, I signed the farm bill. And one of the most important 
aspects of the farm bill was the conservation titles. It was a 
significant expansion of Federal money available to encourage people to 
expand areas of their farms and ranches, like wetlands.
    And secondly, the budget I proposed--or sent to Congress, proposes 
to spend $349 million on two key wetlands programs, which is an increase 
of more than 50 percent since I first took office. These monies will 
help. These monies will provide proper incentive for good conservation 
measures.
    But the thing I think is very important to emphasize here is that 
good conservation and good stewardship will happen when people say, 
``I'm just not going to rely upon the Government to be the solution to 
the problem.'' I've come here because this is a great example of people 
seizing the initiative, a great example of where the Government can help 
but not stand in the way of commonsense policies that will make a 
significant difference to the wetlands and the native species. And it 
sends a clear signal to everybody else around our country that if you 
want to be a responsible citizen, do something about the quality of the 
life in the community in which you live.
    It's my honor to come here today to celebrate this fantastic 
project, to remind our fellow citizens that we all have got 
responsibilities, to declare that the Federal Government has set a new, 
important goal of increasing the net--the wetlands all across America, 
and to ask God's blessings on this beautiful part of the world and the 
people who live here.
    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 12:12 p.m. at the Wells National Estuarine 
Research Reserve. In his remarks, he referred to Paul Dest, manager, 
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.