Great Outdoors Month, 2010

Proclamation 8528 of May 28, 2010

Great Outdoors Month, 2010

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's vast and varied outdoor spaces are a source
of great national pride, and we have long strived to
protect them for future generations. Our lands and
waters provide countless opportunities for exploration,
recreation, and reflection, whether in solitude or with
family and friends. During Great Outdoors Month, we
renew our enduring commitment to protect our natural
landscapes, to enjoy them, and to promote active
lifestyles for ourselves and our children.

Our outdoor spaces include the farms, ranches, rivers,
forests, and working lands that are integral to our
culture and economy, as well as our National Parks,
local parks, fishing holes, beaches, and other favorite
spots that provide space for us to stay active and
healthy. These places are especially important today,
as an increasing number of Americans, especially
children, fall into unhealthy sedentary lifestyles.

This year, I launched the America's Great Outdoors
Initiative to foster innovative, community-driven
strategies to protect our natural spaces, and to
reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. We are
addressing the conservation challenges and
opportunities of the 21st century through partnerships
with ranchers, farmers, sportsmen, and
conservationists; State, local, private, and tribal
leaders; educational and service programs like
AmeriCorps; and business representatives and other
stakeholders. To learn how you can join this effort,
visit: www.DOI.gov/AmericasGreatOutdoors.

The America's Great Outdoors Initiative also builds
upon Let's Move, First Lady Michelle Obama's effort to
help our children eat more nutritious foods, lead
healthier lives, and increase their physical activity.
Exploring beyond the walls of their homes and schools
will help inspire our children to move, run, play, and
thrive. I encourage all Americans to visit
www.LetsMove.gov to learn more.

In these difficult economic times, renewing our
commitment to our natural places will foster jobs in
the tourism and recreation industries while conserving
our great outdoors. Moreover, as Americans, we are
responsible for protecting our heritage, including the
raw beauty of our lands and waters. Together, let us
rise to meet that responsibility and safeguard our
cherished outdoor spaces for our children and
grandchildren.

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 June 2010 as Great
Outdoors Month. I urge all Americans to explore the
great outdoors and to continue our Nation's tradition
of conserving our lands for future generations.

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