    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 17 (Monday, April 30, 2007)]
    [Pages 508-509]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Proclamation 8131--National Park Week, 2007

     April 20, 2007

     By the President of the United States

     of America

     A Proclamation

        Americans take great pride in our country's natural beauty, and our
    Nation is blessed to have a park system of more than 80 million acres
    that belongs to us all. During National Park Week, we underscore our
    dedication to conserving these national treasures, and we pay tribute to
    the dedicated employees and volunteers of the National Park Service who
    care for them.
        Established in 1916, the National Park Service now oversees a
    National Park System that has grown to include almost 400 sites, with
    parks in nearly every State. These parks protect beautiful landscapes,
    tell important stories about our country's past, and encourage our
    citizens to conserve our natural environment and celebrate our national
    history. They are places to learn, exercise, and spend time with family
    and friends. Through her work with the Junior Rangers and the National
    Park Foundation, First Lady Laura Bush and others are working to expand
    access to the riches of our parks.

        In anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the National Park
    Service in 2016, my Administration has launched the National Parks
    Centennial Initiative. The initiative calls upon government, the private
    sector, and our citizenry to share in an effort to help prepare our
    parks for another century of conservation, preservation, and enjoyment.
    We will work to enhance park habitats, expand visitor services, increase
    educational opportunities, implement new technologies, and hire
    additional seasonal park rangers. By maintaining and improving our park
    system, we can ensure that our national parks will thrive for the next
    100 years and beyond.

        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 22 through April 29,
    2007, as National Park Week. This year's theme is ``Your National Parks:
    Explore, Learn, and Protect.'' I invite all my fellow citizens to join
    me in celebrating America's national parks by visiting these wonderful
    spaces, discovering all they have to offer, and becoming active
    participants in park conservation.

        In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day
    of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    first.

                                                    George W. Bush

     [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:52 a.m., April 24,
    2007]

    Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on April
    25. This item was not received in time for publication in the
    appropriate issue.

    [[Page 509]]