National Park Week, 2002

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Part III

The President

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Proclamation 7546--National Park Week, 2002

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7546 of April 23, 2002

National Park Week, 2002

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Our national park system helps preserve our history,
heritage, and the natural beauty of our Nation for the
enjoyment of all our citizens and many international
visitors. Thanks to our park system, many of these
treasures retain their original beauty and grandeur.
The parks are places for recreation, education, and
reflection, and we must take care of them in a way that
preserves them for posterity.

In 1872, the Congress established in the Territories of
Montana and Wyoming what we all know now as Yellowstone
National Park. This beautiful area later became the
first to be designated as a national park. Our national
park system was established in 1916 to protect and
maintain our natural resources and historic sites.
Today, there are 385 national parks on 84 million
acres, visited annually by 280 million people from
around the world.

My Administration's ``National Parks Legacy Project''
was initiated to ensure proper care for our national
park system. Through thoughtful and diligent efforts,
the National Parks Legacy Project will enhance the
parks' ecosystems, improve outdoor opportunities,
address infrastructure needs, and establish
accountability through performance goals. The National
Parks Legacy Project and other actions such as our
support for the Everglades Restoration Plan and our
request to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation
Fund are important steps to support existing and future
parks, vital habitats, and threatened ecosystems. I
have asked the Secretary of the Interior to prepare an
annual report on the conditions of our national parks
and to offer specific recommendations for improvements.

We must also pay tribute to the role that the dedicated
20,000 men and women of the National Park Service play
in preserving our parks. Each day these professionals
and more than 120,000 volunteers work to make national
parks accessible, safe, educational, and well
maintained. Their job is critical to the future of our
parks and national treasures, and America is grateful.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim April 22 through April 28,
2002, as National Park Week. I call upon all the people
of the United States to join me in recognizing the
importance of national parks and to learn more about
these areas of beauty and their historical importance.

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

(Presidential Sig.)B