Great Outdoors Month, 2022

Proclamation 10408 of May 31, 2022

Great Outdoors Month, 2022

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During Great Outdoors Month, we celebrate our Nation's
vast array of parks, wildlife refuges, forests,
monuments, marine sanctuaries, waters, national
conservation lands, and other natural treasures. Every
day, Americans across the country draw inspiration and
pride from the beauty of our magnificent outdoor
spaces. From lush forests in Washington State and coral
reefs in the Virgin Islands to snow-capped mountains in
Alaska and rolling hills in Vermont--the grandeur of
the American landscape fills our souls and fuels our
spirit of adventure. These iconic and stunning natural
wonders have always been central to our heritage as a
people and essential to our identity as a Nation.

Boundless outdoor spaces across the country unite
Americans of every age and background for hiking,
fishing, canoeing, hunting, exploring, reflecting, and
finding solace. As part of my Administration's efforts
to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion, we are
committed to ensuring that everyone can access and
enjoy America's great outdoors. Outreach efforts--
including the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails,
and Conservation Assistance program--expand trails,
conserve rivers, and restore green space so that more
people can benefit. We are also enhancing safe outdoor
resources for communities so that more people can
participate in healthy, active outdoor recreation and
enjoy the physical and spiritual nourishment it
provides.

Today, our lands and waters face unprecedented threats
from climate change that require historic action to
safeguard and preserve them. That is why my
Administration is setting ambitious environmental
standards and making bold climate commitments for the
United States: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up
to 52 percent by 2030, reaching 100 percent carbon
pollution-free electricity by 2035, and achieving net-
zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.

Together with our State, Tribal, and local partners, we
also launched the America the Beautiful Initiative, our
Nation's first-ever voluntary conservation goal, to
conserve and restore 30 percent of America's lands and
waters by 2030. We also spearheaded a $1 Billion
America the Beautiful Challenge, combining Federal
investments with private and philanthropic
contributions to accelerate land, water, and wildlife
conservation and restoration efforts across the
country. And we are making critical investments through
the Great American Outdoors Act for land acquisition
and community-based conservation and recreation
projects in national parks, national forests, public
lands, and Tribal schools.

Land and ocean conservation is a crucial part of
addressing the world's climate challenges. Proper
stewardship protects the outdoors while contributing to
sustainability, climate mitigation, and climate
resilience. It is estimated that as much as one-third
of the global emissions reductions needed to stabilize
the world's climate can come from natural climate
solutions. That's why I issued an Executive Order on
Earth Day to strengthen our Nation's forests,
communities, and local economies, and to take stock of
nature and its benefits.

During Great Outdoors Month, I encourage Americans to
take time to experience the natural wonders across our
Nation. As we enjoy the great outdoor landscapes and
seascapes, let us each recommit to doing our part in
their stewardship, preservation, and sustainable use so
they continue to be a source of inspiration for outdoor
enthusiasts for generations to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 June 2022 as
Great Outdoors Month. I urge all Americans to explore
the great outdoors, to experience our Nation's natural
heritage, and to continue our Nation's tradition
conserving our lands and waters for future generations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.