The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar encourages Americans to get outdoors in honor of National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Ed. Note: In honor of National Public Lands Day, Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson will also visit Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, located along the banks of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., and join volunteers as they plant trees, install logs for erosion control, and collect lotus plants to help preserve and enhance the National Park’s environment. In addition to the events the Department of the Interior has planned, the National Forest Service has75 volunteer opportunities in National Forests throughout the country. To learn more about National Public Lands Day visit: www.publiclandsday.org.
Tomorrow I will join more than 170,000 volunteers across the country as we roll up our sleeves to help preserve and improve our nation’s public lands.
At 2,200 sites across the country – from neighborhood green spaces to city parks, and from our beaches to our national parks – we’ll be celebrating two important occasions: National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Whether you like to get dirt under your fingernails planting trees or cast your rod along a river near your house, I encourage you and your family to get outside tomorrow and enjoy our nation’s natural and cultural areas.
The President and First Lady have emphasized how important it is for the health of all of us—especially our children—to unplug from electronic devices and get outdoors.
The lands and sites that the Department of the Interior protects are waiting to be explored - from Yellowstone National Park and Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to Cape Cod National Seashore and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. And tomorrow, the National Parks Service will be waiving all entrance fees at our 392 national parks.
I’ll be in Louisiana tomorrow, joining hundreds of volunteers who are helping restore the marshes of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. I hope you’ll join me, or find a location near you where you can volunteer.
So tomorrow, join a volunteer crew, grab a shovel, plant a tree, or help teach someone how to hunt or fish. Let’s celebrate our public lands and our nation’s outdoor heritage. This is a great chance to experience your America.
