[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 17 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Pages 671-675]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples, 
Florida

April 23, 2004

    Thank you all very much. Thanks for coming. Please be seated if you 
have a chair. If you don't have a chair, don't be seated. [Laughter] So 
yesterday I was in Wells, Maine, talking about the environment, and my 
mother showed up. [Laughter] So today I am in South Florida talking 
about the environment, and my brother shows up. [Laughter] And you all 
showed up. Thanks for coming. It's great to be here at the Rookery Bay 
Reserve. What a special place. I like to call it a little slice of 
heaven.
    This week we observed Earth Day. And one way to honor the day is to 
honor those citizens in our country who understand the definition of 
stewardship, citizens who work to make sure that our environment is as 
clean as possible. And that's what we're here to do today.
    It also happens to be National Volunteer Week. So, yes. And what is 
easy to understand is one of the reasons why the Rookery is such a 
place, is because of the volunteers who have come on a daily basis to 
make this a special place. My first task is to thank you for being such 
good stewards of Florida's natural beauty. Thank you for not only 
protecting it, but thank you for enhancing it. And a person who gets a 
lot of credit for that is my brother. Jeb has been a--[applause].
    I spent some quality time with Gary Lytton, who is the director 
here, by the way. Gary, I want to thank you for your service. Gary is a 
joyful person--[laughter]--because he likes what he's doing, and he 
loves this part of the world. And it's clear that there's a great sense 
of ownership when you talk to Gary. Gary is interested in not only 
preserving beauty; he's interested in learning as much as possible to 
share the knowledge across our country.
    He's also pretty good about lining up these volunteers and making 
sure they work. [Laughter] I said, ``Does Gary keep you working?'' He 
said, ``You bet.'' [Laughter] That's good. That's called leadership. But 
Gary, thanks for what you're doing. He tells me that much of the 
property bought here is a result of the bonding issue that Jeb pushed to 
make sure that much of the great State of Florida is protected and 
preserved throughout the years to come.
    I know there's a lot of politics when it comes to the environment. 
But what I like to do is focus on results, and you've got yourself a 
results-oriented Governor when it comes to protecting this environment.
    And I know Colleen is doing good work. Good to see you again, 
Colleen. Thanks for coming out to say hello.
    We traveled down from Washington with two Members of the United 
States Congress. First, from down the road and kind of over would be 
Mario Diaz-Balart. Where are you, Mario? Thank you. I appreciate you 
coming. And finally, a person who has earned a great reputation on a 
variety of fronts, one as a strong believer and supporter of national 
security and the intelligence-gathering services of our country but also 
a man who has got a fantastic reputation for being careful and 
thoughtful about the environment here on

[[Page 672]]

the West Coast of Florida, and that's Porter Goss. Thank you, Porter.
    I want to thank the mayor who is here, Mayor Bill Barnett. Where are 
you, Mayor? Yes, thank you, buddy. Thanks for coming. I'm proud you're 
here. My only advice is to make sure you empty the garbage on a regular 
basis--[laughter]--maybe fill a pothole or two. [Laughter] But thanks 
for coming. I think I'd rather be President than mayor. At least my 
phone number isn't in the phonebook. [Laughter]
    I appreciate all the other local officials who are here. I know you 
care as much as the mayor does and Porter does about making sure the 
environment is strong, the protection process is in place so that our 
natural beauty can be enhanced as this part of the world becomes more 
populated.
    I want to thank David Eisner, who is the CEO of the Corporation for 
National and Community Service. Thank you for coming, David. I see 
David. Appreciate you coming. David is in charge of a lot of important 
programs, one of which is AmeriCorps. I'm a strong believer in 
AmeriCorps.
    I want to thank the--where are my AmeriCorps buddies? There they 
are. Did you change shirts? [Laughter] You look too pretty. [Laughter] I 
was out there watching them help get rid of the invasees--invasive 
grasses and species that is threatening the watersheds and threatening 
the wetlands. They're doing good work. These are good kids from around 
the country who are dedicating time to help America, whether it be 
teaching kids how to read and write, add and subtract or out here in the 
hinterlands of South Florida, protecting the environment. It's really 
neat to be with you all. I want to thank you for your service, thank you 
for your hard work, and may God continue to bless you and your families 
as you pursue your dreams.
    As Jeb mentioned, my administration is committed to conserving 
Florida's natural beauty. In January 2002, I joined your Governor in 
signing an important agreement. In order to make sure enough fresh water 
would go to the Everglades, the Federal Government and the State agreed 
to install large pumps and build canals and large freshwater storage 
areas. In other words, my administration recognized the importance of 
the Everglades to not only the State of Florida but to our country, and 
we will continue to work with Jeb and the State to make sure the 
Everglades is vibrant, alive, and available for future generations of 
Americans.
    In 2002, the Federal Government bought back the rights to oil and 
gas development in parts of the Everglades and in the Destin Dome area 
offshore from Pensacola. This action helped to protect the Big Cypress 
National Preserve, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, and the 
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. As you can see, there is 
no ambiguity in my position on drilling off the coast of Florida.
    We have done more. Working with community leaders, this State and 
the Federal Government in 2001 established the Tortugas Ecological 
Reserve, a 200 square mile area west of the Florida Keys. This is one of 
the largest protected marine areas in America. This preserve of coral 
reefs and sea grasses is home to countless species of fish and wildlife, 
and protecting it was vital to the future, as we allow the public to 
enjoy its beauty.
    Now we've been working with the State of Florida. We've been working 
hard because we share a common goal to conserve our environment, to do 
our duty as stewards of this beautiful part of the world.
    Here at Rookery Bay, you see how important wetlands are to 
protecting 150 species of birds and many threatened and endangered 
animals. Across Florida, citizens understand that the wetlands are 
essential to a healthy, diverse environment and to the tourism and 
recreation that bring millions of visitors to your State every year. In 
other words, a good environment will help the tourism industry to 
continue to flourish. The two go hand in hand. Many people of Florida 
understand that dynamic. I certainly understand it as well.
    Of all the coastal wetlands in the lower 48 States, 20 percent are 
right here in Florida. This is a legacy we need to protect and pass 
along. And so, today I want to talk about how the Government can do its 
part--that is, the Federal Government.
    Yesterday in Maine, I announced an ambitious national goal. First of 
all, I don't set

[[Page 673]]

goals unless I think we can meet them, and this is an ambitious goal 
that we can meet. For years, our Nation has sought to slow the loss of 
wetlands. Now I believe we must change that goal to one that says, 
``We'll have an overall increase in wetlands every year. Instead of just 
reducing loss, the goal of this country must be to increase wetlands.''
    To accomplish this objective, my administration will work to 
restore, to improve, and to protect at least 3 million acres of wetlands 
over the next 5 years. First part of the strategy is to restore at least 
one million acres of wetlands that do no exist today. Through expanded 
incentive and partnership measures such as the Department of 
Agriculture's Wetland Reserve Program, and through new grants under the 
Interior Department's North American Wetlands Conservation Act, we can 
expand wetlands. By the way, the North American Wetlands Conservation 
Act, Jeb, was signed by Dad.
    The idea is to provide incentives and grant money to allow wetlands 
to return where they once existed. And it's possible to do so. It's very 
feasible to do so. We can provide incentives, for example, to farmers 
and ranchers to stop cultivating areas that were once wetlands, and we 
will do just that. This is a commonsense way of expanding the wetlands 
across America.
    Secondly, 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, as well as 
the use of NOAA's Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration 
Program.
    Before I--I'm going to expand on that--I do want to thank the NOAA 
folks who are here. I'm proud you're here. Thank you for your good work. 
Yes, I saw you over there. I thought for a minute it said NCAA, then I 
realized it said NOAA. [Laughter]
    I also want to thank the folks who work for the Ag Department who 
are here, and I want to thank the folks who work for the Interior 
Department who are here. Thank you for being openminded as you work in a 
collaborative way with State and local government.
    You see, too many wetlands are degraded and can no longer support 
healthy wildlife populations. So they need to be restored, and that's 
what this aspect of the strategy will do. That's what's happening back 
over here. These plants invaded, these nonnatives came, and they're 
making it difficult for the wetlands to flourish. And so we've got to 
put programs in place that help Mother Nature. See, Mother Nature can't 
do it itself. Mother Nature can't retake the land unless there's a 
little help from us.
    And so the second phase is to make sure the wetlands that have been 
degraded are revitalized and restored. The Everglades is a great 
wetlands area. So you hear me talking about wetlands, think Everglades, 
as well as other parts of this State.
    The problem the Everglades--one of the problems has been that 
nonnative plants have invaded. And so one of the things we're going to 
do is encourage programs that will remove the invasive species to allow 
the native vegetation to return. It sounds simple, but it's hard work, 
and it requires Federal Government support. And I'm willing to dedicate 
that support because I understand how important wetlands are.
    Third, we'll 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 landowners to place easements on their wetlands--on 
the wetland portion of their property. That'll help migratory birds find 
nesting areas. That'll be good for the ducks. That'll be good for other 
birds that are traveling long distances in their winter--on their winter 
flights.
    It is vital that there be good education, but it's vital that there 
also be good incentive programs to remind landowners about a 
responsibility that they have and the capacity to make a difference in 
the wildlife of our country.
    Some people need to be reminded--one of my favorite phrases: If you 
own your own farm or ranch, every day is Earth Day, by the way. Laura 
and I are doing our bit by restoring natural grasses to our ranch. She 
wants to become a Little Blue Stem grass seed distributor so that others 
will grow native grasses. It's amazing what happens when

[[Page 674]]

we restored our little part of heaven to native grasses. Bobwhite quail 
are returning. Birds are showing up that we hadn't seen before. It's a 
fantastic experience. It's the same thing you are doing here, and it's 
the same concept we've got to do to encourage others who own their land, 
to understand the incredible opportunity they have to make a vital 
contribution to the wetlands of our country and to the environmental 
prosperity of our country as well.
    To meet the goal of wetland expansion, we've got to commit money, of 
course. You just can't lay out a goal unless they're willing to support. 
And my administration is prepared to do so, as I said. We did a good 
thing in the farm bill, the 2002 farm bill, which is still in place. One 
of the most important aspects of the farm bill was the conservation 
title. It was a strong expansion of Federal money available to encourage 
farmers to expand areas on their farms, like wetlands. It is an 
important part of meeting this national goal.
    As well I'm sending a budget up to Congress--or have sent a budget 
up to Congress for 2005 that proposes a--$349 million expenditures on 
two key wetlands programs, which, by the way, is an increase of 50 
percent since 2001. In other words, we're going to help people restore 
wetlands. It's in our national interest we do so, and it's an important 
priority that we get it done.
    Citizens have an important part--a role to play in this as well, and 
that's--it's really important for those of us in positions of 
responsibility to remind people that you can't have good environmental 
stewardship if you rely solely on the Federal Government. I mean, the 
Federal Government can help, but we're the land of the mighty lawsuit. 
[Laughter] There's all kinds of lawsuits up there. The best way to get 
things done is to be a helper and encourage people, just like is doing 
here. I mean, this is a good example. It's why we came here: It's 
working. We came here to herald what's possible when all levels of 
government and local citizens decide to make a difference in the 
community in which they live.
    And so today when I landed, in order to send a clear signal about 
how important voluntarism is, I presented the President's Volunteer 
Service Award to Neala Hoch. Where are you, Neala? Oh, there you are. 
Thanks. Thanks for coming. She's taking time out of her life to be 
involved with Keep America Beautiful and its affiliates, for 20 years. 
She's a citizen who deserves our thanks, just like many of you all do.
    You know, they talk about America's strength a lot of times, and 
they say, ``Well, America is strong because of our military.'' And by 
the way, I intend to keep the military strong to keep the peace. Or they 
say, ``We're strong because we're prosperous.'' And we're getting 
prosperous, and we need to be even more prosperous, and I think we will 
be. But the real strength is in the hearts and souls of our citizens. 
That's where our true strength. That's why we're a strong nation.
    And it happens--and that strength is displayed here, or it's 
displayed when somebody says to someone, ``I love you. What can I do to 
help you?'' It's displayed when people feed the hungry. It's displayed 
when people provide shelter to the homeless. The great strength of 
America is displayed when somebody mentors a child. That's the strength 
of the country. And the best way that happens is when volunteers step up 
and say, ``I care about the community in which I live, and I intend to 
do something about it.''
    And so today, at National Volunteer Week, I want to thank a member 
of the army of compassion and all the rest of you who are soldiers in 
the armies of compassion. I want to thank you for what you do to make 
America a better place.
    And by the way, if you're interested in volunteering, I've set up 
what's called USA Freedom Corps. It's a clearinghouse for projects--yes, 
there you go. It's a clearinghouse for--a place where people can find--
to match their desires with what is needed in the communities all across 
America. You can find it at www.usafreedomcorps.gov. See, all you got to 
do is get on this web page, and it will link you up to different 
opportunities, whether it be Scouting or whether it be environmental 
protection. There's all kinds of opportunities across the country just 
asking for your help.
    So on National Volunteer Week, I call upon our fellow citizens to 
serve our country by helping somebody in need. And by doing

[[Page 675]]

so, this society will change, one heart and one soul at a time. No, the 
strength of this country is the fact that we're a nation full of 
compassionate, decent, honorable, loving citizens. And it is my honor to 
be the President of such a country.
    May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 11:44 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; Gary Lytton, director, Rookery Bay National 
Estuarine Research Reserve; Colleen M. Castille, secretary, Florida 
Department of Environmental Protection; and Mayor Bill Barnett of 
Naples, FL.