economies, and increase tourism by enhancing public lands that draw travelers from across the globe. To celebrate National Park Week, all 397 National Parks will offer free admission from April 21 through April 29, 2012. I encourage every American to visit www.NPS.gov to find a nearby park and discover the land passed down to us by our forebears.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt told us ‘‘There is nothing so American as our National Parks.’’ This week, we honor the uniquely American idea behind them: that each of us has an equal share in the land around us, and an equal responsibility to protect it. That call to conserve has echoed for generations—from Jefferson, to Lincoln, to Roosevelt, to all who have done their part to protect the land that they love. It is the call we hear today, and as we come together to celebrate our national heritage, let us reaffirm our promise to preserve America’s treasures for the generations yet to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 21 through April 29, 2012, as National Park Week. I encourage all Americans to visit their national parks and be reminded of these unique blessings we share as a Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
Proclamation 8802 of April 20, 2012
Earth Day, 2012
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans came together to celebrate the first Earth Day. Students, teachers, activists, elected officials, and countless others challenged our Nation to confront our most urgent environmental issues and rallied around a single message: the success of future generations depends upon how we act today. As we commemorate Earth Day this year, we reflect on the challenges that remain before us and recommit to the spirit of togetherness and shared responsibility that galvanized a movement 42 years ago.
America rose to meet the call to action in the months and years that followed the first Earth Day. We passed the Clean Air, Clean Water, Endangered Species, and Marine Mammal Protection Acts; founded the Environmental Protection Agency; and ignited a spirit of stewardship that has driven progress for over four decades. Today, our air and water are cleaner, pollution has been greatly reduced, and Americans everywhere are living in a healthier environment.
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