yosemite national park
Sierra Sun Times file photo
April 20, 2024 – President Joe Biden’s Proclamation on National Parks Week 2024.
America’s natural wonders and historical treasures are the heart and soul of our nation. From the plateaus and deep canyons of the Grand Canyon to the sacred lands of Gettysburg and the rugged forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, national parks unite us, inspire us, and remind us of something bigger than ourselves. I will connect it with. This week, we recommit to protecting and caring for all 429 parks and encourage Americans around the world to enjoy them.
Protecting our national parks preserves not only their majestic beauty, but also meaningful parts of our country’s history and future. They contain irreplaceable ecosystems that maintain the air we breathe, the water we drink, and help make our nation more resilient to the threats of climate change. They allow families to share the great outdoors, provide priceless memories of exploring our past, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the recreational sector. Many of them help preserve sites and places sacred to the tribal nations that have managed the land since time immemorial.
My administration has pursued the most ambitious land and water conservation initiatives in American history. And I’m on track to conserve more land and water than any president in history. The effort began with the establishment of the first-ever national conservation goals. Through the America the Beautiful initiative, we will protect and conserve at least 30 percent of our nation’s lands and waters by 2030 by investing in locally-led, voluntary conservation and restoration efforts. I will sign an executive order to protect America’s forests and harness the power of nature to fight climate change, while also launching a new National Nature Assessment to help assess the condition of our lands, waters, and wildlife. Did.
Since I took office, my administration has increased 41 million acres, from protecting America’s largest national forest, the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, to restoring protection to the desert landscape of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. We have conserved more of our country’s precious land and water than ever before. . I am pleased to announce that five new national monuments will be built, including Burge Nwavjo Ita Kukuveni, on the edge of the Grand Canyon, a sacred site to many tribal nations, and Emmett Till-Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which tells its story. A memorial was established. The events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till and its significance in the civil rights movement. Just last month, I signed an executive order to better recognize and incorporate the history of women and girls into the parks, monuments, and historic sites that the National Park Service helps protect.
National parks and the complex ecosystems they contain also help make our nation more resilient to the existential threat of climate change. My administration has made the largest investment in conservation and climate action in history, including $700 million for our national parks for increased staffing and much-needed maintenance. My bipartisan infrastructure legislation will preserve our land and water, including projects that protect salt marshes and remove invasive species from the sagebrush ecosystem to reduce wildfire risk. We are investing in It also helps build new trails, roads, bridges, and other transportation in national parks, making them easier to visit. Pays for bonuses and training opportunities for more than 20,000 wildland firefighters. Meanwhile, we have worked closely with tribal nations to recognize the value of Indigenous knowledge and expand tribal co-management of national parks. My recent budget gave the National Park Service itself 30% to improve park infrastructure, collaborate with tribal nations in the care and stewardship of culturally significant lands, support youth programs that lead to good-paying jobs, and more. It’s asking for more than $1 billion. Through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, the National Park Service supports the creation and renovation of parks and outdoor spaces in communities that have long lacked them.
We encourage you to explore America’s national parks. Admission will be free on April 20th. Every time my family and I visit there, we are inspired by the country’s natural beauty and humbled by the responsibility we all share in ensuring its survival. This National Parks Week, we recommit to long-standing efforts to protect our nation’s natural treasures.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby declare the period beginning April 20, 2024, and ending April 28, 2024. , as National Parks Week. I encourage all Americans to find their parks, re-create them responsibly, and reap the benefits of spending time in nature.
In witness of this, I hereby extend my hand on this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord, two thousand and twenty-four, and the independence of the United States of America, two hundred and forty-eight.
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Source: White House Office
