[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 42 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
[Pages 1380-1381]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

October 19, 2007

    Good morning. This weekend I will join millions of Americans in one 
of our favorite national pastimes, fishing. I'm going to be on the 
Chesapeake Bay. For those who love fishing, the most important thing is 
not the size of your catch, but the enjoyment of the great outdoors. 
Every year, millions of Americans grab their tackle boxes and head out 
to their favorite fishing holes. No matter where they drop their lines, 
they build memories that last a lifetime. And in the process, they 
contribute billions of dollars to our economy.
    My administration is committed to protecting the environment that 
our sportsmen depend on. We believe that to meet the environmental 
challenges of the 21st century, we must bring together conservationists, 
fishermen, sportsmen, local leaders, and Federal, State, and tribal 
officials in a spirit of cooperation. I call this ``cooperative 
conservation.'' Instead of the old environmental debates that pit one 
group against another, we're moving our country toward a system where 
citizens and government can come together to achieve meaningful results 
for our environment.
    One way we are practicing cooperative conservation is through our 
efforts to preserve our fisheries. Almost 3 years ago, I announced an 
ocean action plan to promote an ethic of responsible stewardship that 
will make our waterways cleaner, healthier, and more productive. Last 
year, I was proud to establish a marine conservation area in the 
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This is the single largest conservation 
area in the history of our Nation and the largest protected marine area 
in the world. We're also working to clean up marine debris and to 
address harmful fishing practices in international waters that destroy 
corals and other vital habitats. Earlier this year, I signed a law that 
will help end overfishing and create market-based regulations to 
replenish our fish stocks so we can keep them strong for generations to 
come.
    Prior to my fishing trip, I am signing an Executive order that will 
preserve two of our Nation's most popular recreational fish, striped 
bass and red drum. These two species were once abundant in American 
waters, but their stocks have been overfished. The Executive order I 
sign will protect striped bass and red drum caught in Federal waters by 
moving to prohibit their commercial sale. It will promote more accurate 
scientific records about fish population levels. And it will help the 
Federal Government work with State and local officials to find 
innovative ways to ensure these two species are conserved for future 
generations.
    As we work to protect our Nation's fisheries, we're also working to 
help migratory

[[Page 1381]]

birds thrive. Each year, more than 800 species of birds make their way 
south for the winter and then return home to their breeding grounds the 
following spring. Their ability to survive these long journeys depends 
on stopover habitat. Unfortunately, some of the areas where birds once 
stopped and rested on their great migrations have been lost to 
development. So we're working to protect these species by restoring or 
replacing their stopover habitats.
    One key way we're doing this is by expanding our national wildlife 
refuges, creating new ones, and restoring and improving hundreds of 
thousands of acres of habitat for migratory birds. At the same time, 
we're bringing together Federal, State, and tribal agencies to work with 
private groups and corporations to improve habitat on private lands. The 
Department of the Interior is also working with cities across our Nation 
to build stopover habitats in urban areas. And this weekend, I'm 
announcing new policies, including new efforts with Mexico, to foster 
greater habitat conservation for the migratory birds.
    America's national parks also play a vital role in our conservation 
efforts. Earlier this week, Laura spoke at the first-ever leadership 
summit of the National Park Foundation. She discussed the National Parks 
Centennial Initiative, a public-private partnership to raise funds for 
the Park System's 100th anniversary in 2016. This initiative will 
support many vital projects to improve habitats for local wildlife, 
including some that will directly benefit birds.
    As Americans, we've been given a beautiful country to live in, and 
we have an obligation to be good stewards of the environment. With the 
cooperative conservation policies we have put in place, we show our 
commitment to preserving our Nation's heritage. By making responsible 
choices today, we will ensure that our children and grandchildren will 
enjoy a cleaner and more vibrant environment.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on October 19 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on October 20. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
October 19. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.