Presidential Document2022-19303
National Wilderness Month, 2022
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 6, 2022
Signed
August 31, 2022
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 54309-54310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19303]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 171 / Tuesday, September 6, 2022 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 54309]]
Proclamation 10438 of August 31, 2022
National Wilderness Month, 2022
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
From the peaks of the Sierras to the rolling foothills
of the Alleghenies, our Nation's wilderness boasts
national treasures that provide opportunities for
discovery, wonder, and serenity. They are also the
current and ancestral homelands of Tribal Nations and
Indigenous peoples, many of whom have deep cultural,
historic, and spiritual connections to these places.
During National Wilderness Month, let us express
gratitude for lands and waters that remain in their
natural condition, acknowledge the importance of making
public lands accessible to all Americans, and
rededicate ourselves to conserving and protecting the
earth for future generations.
When designated wilderness areas are left intact, they
defend us against climate change, keep us resilient
when natural disasters strike, and create a refuge for
biodiversity. Our Nation's forests offset 10 percent of
our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions every year. Native
grasslands, wetlands, and other healthy soils retain
water at faster rates, protecting us against flooding
and offering drought relief for surrounding vegetation.
Owing to the beauty of these places--and perhaps
anticipating their environmental importance--President
Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the 1964 Wilderness
Act and created the National Wilderness Preservation
System. In the years since, the Congress has designated
over 800 wilderness areas comprising more than 111
million acres of land.
Still, America's natural spaces are in danger. Extreme
wildfires threaten to destroy our woodlands. Rising
tides imperil our coastlines. Runoff from toxic
chemicals pollutes our rivers and endangers species.
Even if designated wilderness areas appear safe from
harm for now, the unpredictable nature of climate
change and biodiversity loss looms over our entire
Nation.
In response, my Administration has set ambitious goals
to scale back our GHG emissions and chart a new course
with clean energy. We pledged to reduce emissions by up
to 52 percent by 2030, achieve 100 percent carbon
pollution-free electricity by 2035, and create an
economy with net-zero emissions by 2050. We set the
first-ever national conservation goal through the
America the Beautiful Initiative to voluntarily
conserve at least 30 percent of lands and waters in the
United States by 2030. We are funding ecosystem
restoration and reforestation efforts with billions of
dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and
through the America the Beautiful Challenge, which
merges Federal investments with private and
philanthropic donations to boost conservation. We are
making strategic investments through the Great American
Outdoors Act to conserve at-risk lands, including
critical habitats and migration corridors. On Earth
Day, I signed an Executive Order to strengthen our
Nation's, and the world's, vitally important forests.
As we reflect upon the work that remains before us, we
must acknowledge that not all Americans share equal
access to public lands. I remain committed to ensuring
that everyone can benefit from the natural beauty and
bountiful gifts of our wild spaces. I also remain
committed to ensuring that Tribal Nations and
Indigenous communities can continue sustainably using
and connecting with their sacred lands. My
Administration will honor those whose ancestors
stewarded these lands since time immemorial.
[[Page 54310]]
This National Wilderness Month, we give thanks for the
magnificent beauty that surrounds us, offer our
gratitude to the men and women who maintain our public
lands, and affirm our duty to safeguard designated
wilderness areas and natural spaces across our world.
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 September 2022
as National Wilderness Month. I encourage all Americans
to experience our Nation's outdoor heritage, to
recreate responsibly and to leave no trace, to
celebrate the value of preserving an enduring
wilderness, and to strengthen our commitment to
protecting these vital lands and waters now and for
future generations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of August, 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-
seventh.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2022-19303
Filed 9-2-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 6, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.