[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 885-886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-156]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 4 / Thursday, January 7, 2010 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 885]]
Proclamation 8469 of December 31, 2009
40th Anniversary of the National Environmental
Policy Act, 2010
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Forty years ago, the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) was signed into law with overwhelming bipartisan
support, ushering in a new era of environmental
awareness and citizen participation in government. NEPA
elevated the role of environmental considerations in
proposed Federal agency actions, and it remains the
cornerstone of our Nation's modern environmental
protections. On this anniversary, we celebrate this
milestone in our Nation's rich history of conservation,
and we renew our commitment to preserve our environment
for the next generation.
NEPA was enacted to ``prevent or eliminate damage to
the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health
and welfare of man.'' It established concrete
objectives for Federal agencies to enforce these
principles, while emphasizing public involvement to
give all Americans a role in protecting our
environment. It also created the Council on
Environmental Quality to lead our Government's
conservation efforts and serve as the President's
environmental advisor.
America's economic health and prosperity are inexorably
linked to the productive and sustainable use of our
environment. That is why NEPA remains a vital tool for
my Administration as we work to protect our Nation's
environment and revitalize our economy. The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 reaffirmed NEPA's
role in protecting public health, safety, and
environmental quality, and in ensuring transparency,
accountability, and public involvement in our
Government.
Today, my Administration will recognize NEPA's
enactment by recommitting to environmental quality
through open, accountable, and responsible decision
making that involves the American public. Our Nation's
long-term prosperity depends upon our faithful
stewardship of the air we breathe, the water we drink,
and the land we sow. With smart, sustainable policies
like those established under NEPA, we can meet our
responsibility to future generations of Americans, so
they may hope to enjoy the beauty and utility of a
clean, healthy planet.
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 January 1, 2010, as
the 40th Anniversary of the National Environmental
Policy Act. I call upon all executive branch agencies
to promote public involvement and transparency in their
implementation of the National Environmental Policy
Act. I also encourage every American to learn more
about the National Environmental Policy Act and how we
can all contribute to protecting and enhancing our
environment.
[[Page 886]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fourth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2010-156
Filed 1-6-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W0-P