[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.

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