Presidential Document2023-28935
50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, 2023
Primary source
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Published
January 2, 2024
Signed
December 27, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 1 (Tuesday, January 2, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 2, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 1-2]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28935]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 1]]
Proclamation 10689 of December 27, 2023
50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act,
2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Fifty years ago, the Congress passed one of the world's
most critical conservation laws--the Endangered Species
Act. Ever since, the Endangered Species Act has
prevented 99 percent of all fish, wildlife, and plants
under its protection from going extinct. This law has
safeguarded the incredible biodiversity across our
Nation, supported the recovery of imperiled species,
and conserved the habitats they depend on. As we
observe this anniversary, my Administration recommits
to conserving America's flora and fauna for generations
to come.
Before the Endangered Species Act, Federal law lacked a
unified framework to protect species facing extinction,
including plants and animals that have long populated
this country. When these species vanish, it jeopardizes
the ecosystems and people that depend on them. Because
America's biodiversity is central to our national
heritage and identity, courageous activists and
scientists refused to let our precious wildlife
disappear. With these activists and scientists leading
the way, a group of bipartisan members of Congress came
together to pass the Endangered Species Act. This law
expanded the endangered species list, established new
protections for them, and empowered agencies to enforce
any violations of those protections. I was proud to
vote for and contribute to the passage of the
Endangered Species Act back then, and I am proud now of
its lasting legacy. Because of these protections,
nearly 300 species have avoided extinction--from the
American alligator to the bald eagle, our national
symbol.
My Administration has remained committed to restoring
the full power and promise of the Endangered Species
Act and conserving our Nation's lands and waters. We
proposed two rules that restore critical parts of the
Endangered Species Act that were weakened during the
previous administration and recommit to using the best
available science to manage species. Additionally, our
Inflation Reduction Act invests billions of dollars in
conservation efforts--like forest management, ecosystem
restoration, watershed protection, and other efforts
that will support the recovery of imperiled wildlife
and their habitats. That funding also includes $125
million for endangered species, directly benefiting
more than 300 species currently listed under the
Endangered Species Act.
From day one of my Administration, I have taken
historic steps to conserve our natural treasures for
the ages. During my first week in office, I issued an
Executive Order establishing the country's first-ever
National Conservation Goal to conserve at least 30
percent of our lands and waters by 2030. That goal is
at the heart of my ``America the Beautiful'' initiative
to support locally led, voluntary conservation and
restoration efforts across the country. We are
delivering on those efforts--during my first year in
office, we protected more lands and waters than any
American President since John F. Kennedy. As we have
pursued these conservation efforts, we have continued
to work with farmers, ranchers, fishermen, landowners,
Indigenous peoples, and rural communities, who do the
everyday work of sustaining and cultivating our lands.
[[Page 2]]
Additionally, my Administration began the designation
process for multiple new national marine sanctuaries,
including the Hudson Canyon in the Atlantic Ocean, the
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the
coast of Southern California, and more than 700,000
square miles around the Pacific Remote Islands. If
completed, the Pacific Remote Islands sanctuary would
be among the largest marine protected areas on the
planet. The Department of the Interior has also begun
the process of conserving more than 13 million acres of
lands of significant natural and cultural value in
America's Western Arctic.
Finally, we cannot adequately protect our Nation's
biodiversity if we do not combat the existential threat
of climate change. That is why my Inflation Reduction
Act made the largest investment in climate and
conservation ever. Along with funding from the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these investments have
helped protect our iconic outdoor spaces, implement
climate-smart agriculture practices, preserve our
historic sites, and make our Nation more resilient to
the devastating impacts of climate change. I also
signed an Executive Order to protect America's forests,
support nature-based solutions to climate change, and
initiate the first National Nature Assessment to
evaluate the state of our lands, waters, and wildlife.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered
Species Act, we recognize the incredible progress we
have made over the past five decades to protect
endangered species as well as all that is possible when
we come together to conserve our planet. Together, we
can ensure that all our Nation's treasures--its lands,
water, and all the incredible wildlife it holds--will
be enjoyed 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 December 28,
2023, as the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species
Act. I call upon Americans to honor all the progress we
have made toward protecting endangered species and to
work together to conserve our Nation's incredible
biodiversity.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-28935
Filed 12-29-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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