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Family Motor Coach Association 6/21/89 [2]
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045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
89 JUN 16 P4: 43
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
James W, Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
memoro
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
whit dres
ii[
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
this
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
mean,
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
??
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind ]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know, when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
6
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
??
neighborhood. ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal.'
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
# # #
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind
]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know, when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood.' ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal."
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life. As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
# # #
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
89 JUN 16 P12:11
6/15/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
Deletion
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you,
.
[Acknowledgements]
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you know, I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntiè
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind
]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know, when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood. ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky. Gnawbone,
Indiana. And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
you should return it sharper than when you got it. Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal."
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
)
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas love -- and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way." Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
# # #
Cluss insert RV in
STATES OFFICE OF THE RESIDENT STATES OF TNE UNITED
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
speech? XA
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
JUN 8 1989
MEMORANDUM TO DAVID F. DEMAREST, JR.
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
FOR COMMUNICATIONS
FROM:
Robert E. Grady BOb
SUBJECT:
Recreational Land Acquisition Projects
Included in the FY 1990 President's Budget
Attached for your information are lists of FY 1990 proposed
recreational land acquisitions by the Departments of the
Interior (National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service,
Bureau of Land Management) and Agriculture (Forest Service).
These projects will be funded under the President's initia-
tive, announced in his February 9th budget address, to seek
over $200 million in appropriations annually from FY 1990
to FY 1993 for Interior and Agriculture land acquisition.
This compares to a request of $23 million in the previous
Administration's budget, consistent with its desire to
eliminate funding for land acquisition.
The Departments recently submitted these lists to Congress.
Funding of these projects will promote a variety of
Administration objectives, such as providing recreation to
urban area populations ("parks for people"), preserving
valuable wetlands, and protecting threatened and endangered
species habitats. The projects are a clear demonstration of
the President's commitment to environmental protection and
enhancement, and should be used in his upcoming trips and
speeches across the country to help bring this message home
to the electorate.
Follow-up questions regarding the listed projects should be
directed to me or Dave Gibbons of OMB (x4586).
Attachments
CC:
e.g. - wight be useful in a speed
Speechwriters:
Ms. Chriss Winston
in a local over to say
Mr. Edward McNalley
Mr. Dan McGroarty
Mr. Mark Davis
"my loudget contains X million
Mr. Mark Lange
Mr. Curt Smith
to expand X park."
Hope this is helpful! (orb
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FY 1990 Land Acquisition
(In thousands of dollars)
BLM
FWS
NPS
TOTAL
Acquisition management
1,100
1,874
6,317
9,291
NPS State assistance management
n/a
n/a
3,383
3,383
Emergency and hardship
0
1,500
6,079
7,579
Projects
19,785
48,041
53,680
121,506
Bureau totals
20,885
51,415
69,459
141,759
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FY 1990 Land Acquisition - Bureau Listing
(dollars in thousands)
No. of
FY 90 Cumulative
Bureau
Parcel
Acres
($000)
Cost
BLM
Big Hole River, MT
393
180
BLM
Bizz Johnston Trail, CA
150
300
BLM
Bruneau River, ID
160
40
BLM
Carrizo Plains, CA
35,000
6,000
BLM
Chuckwalla Bench, CA
2,500
500
BLM
Colo R/Blk Ridge Canyon, CO
1,200
300
BLM
Desert Tortoise Nat Area, CA
600
1,200
BLM
E1 Malpais, NM
50,000
1,250
BLM
Fig Springs, AZ
640
210
BLM
Kings Range NCA, CA
600
500
BLM
Lomas/Santa Fe, MT
142
590
BLM
Lower Salmon River, ID
1,568
1,200
BLM
McCain Valley RCA, CA
400
250
BLM
New River ACEC, OR
120
500
BLM
N. Fork American River, CA
240
250
BLM
Oregon Nat'l Trail, ID
1,600
405
BLM
Overflow Wetlands HMP, NM
804
240
BLM
Owyhee River, OR & ID
1,500
1,320
BLM
Pariette Wetlands, UT
503
210
BLM
Rio Chama, NM
1,020
350
BLM
Rio Grande, CO
280
70
BLM
S Fork Merced River, CA
160
250
BLM
S. Fork Snake River, ID
1,700
1,750
BLM
Upper Missouri W/S River, MT
419
200
BLM
Upper Sacramento River, CA
1,300
1,720
19,785
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FY 1990 Land Acquisition - Bureau Listing
(dollars in thousands)
No. of
FY 90 Cumulative
Bureau
Parcel
Acres
($000)
Cost
FWS
Ace Rivers Basin, SC
1,200
1,000
FWS
Blunt-nosed Lizard, CA
150
160
FWS
Bogue Chitto, LA
2,505
1,200
FWS
Cape May, NJ
500
1,000
FWS
Crystal River, FL
10
900
FWS
Eastern Shore, VA
220
200
FWS
Great Swamp, NJ
200
2,000
FWS
James River, VA
3,500
2,000
FWS
J.N. "Ding" Darling, FL
43
300
FWS
Lake Thompson, SD
5,000
1,000
FWS
Lower Rio Grande, TX
8,000
10,000
FWS
Minnesota Valley, MN
1,130
4,516
FWS
Pelican Island, FL
249
1,900
FWS
Pettaquamscutt, RI
150
1,400
FWS
Sacramento River, CA
4,065
4,643
FWS
San Francisco Bay, CA
1,400
4,000
FWS
San Joaquin River, CA
2,500
5,000
FWS
San Pablo Bay, CA
1,493
3,500
FWS
Steigerwald Lake, WA
190
722
FWS
Tinicum Nat'l Envir Ctr, PA
100
1,000
FWS
Trempealesu, WI
500
500
FWS
Trustom Pond, RI
70
1,100
48,041
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
FY 1990 Land Acquisition . Bureau Listing
(dollars in thousands)
No. of
FY 90 Cumulative
Bureau
Parcel
Acres
($000)
Cost
NPS
Acadia NP, ME
233
1,000
NPS
Antietam NBP, MD
62
500
NPS
Appalachian Trail, Multi
2,387
7,000
NPS
Big Cypress N Pres, FL
5,894
4,000
NPS
Chattahoochee River NRA, GA
225
5,000
NPS
Congaree Swamp, SC
733
1,000
NPS
Cuyahoga Valley NRA, OH
175
3,500
NPS
Delaware Water Gap NRA, NJ/PA
96
750
NPS
El Malpais, NM
3,500
3,500
NPS
Jean Lafitte NHP & Pres, LA
1,000
1,000
NPS
New River Gorge NR, WV
2,812
2,500
NPS
NP of American Samoa, Saipan
9,000
400
NPS
Santa Monica Mts. NRA, CA
3,059
21,530
NPS
Timucuan E & H Res, FL
100
1,500
NPS
War in the Pacific, Guam
1
500
53,680
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
FY 1990
L&WCF PROGRAM
NO. OF
COST
PROJECT/STATE
ACRES
($000)
Caribbean NF, Puerto Rico
300
430
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NF, WA
160
2,000
Pacific Crest Trail
1,000
1,000
Pere Marquette W&SR, MI
500
500
Appalachian Trail
6,000
3,000
Chattooga W&SR, GA
1,000
1,000
Hells Canyon, NRA, OR/ID
500
500
Sawtooth, NRA, ID
400
2,000
Oregon Dunes, NRA, OR
300
500
Cascade Head, SRA, OR
200
1,000
Ocala NF, FL
532
4,000
Humboldt NF, NV
5,950
1,400
Monongahela NF, WV
7,000
2,800
Flaming Gorge NRA, WY
6
12
Hiawatha NF, MI
13,000
3,500
Toiyabe NF, CA/NV
4,000
4,000
Spruce Knobs-Seneca Rock NRA, WV
700
500
Flathead W&SR, MT
800
1,500
Inyo NF, CA
248
1,000
Green Mountain NF, VT
3,500
1,750
Desoto NF, MS
800
700
Quachita NF, AR
8,000
5,000
Ozark NF, AR
3,500
2,000
San Bernardino NF, CA
450
2,000
Roosevelt NF, CO
320
960
Siuslaw NF, OR
568
2,500
Wenatchee NF, WA
15
700
Columbia River Gorge, NSA, WA/OR
3,000
5,000
Carson NF, NM
525
375
Osceola NF, FL
6,000
1,750
Gallatin NF, MT
1,000
1,000
Lake Tahoe Basin, CA/NV
250
3,500
Inyo NF, CA
317
400
BWCA Wilderness, MN
10
500
Project Total
58,777
Acquisition Management
6,054
TOTAL
64,831
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
89 JUN 16 P4: 22
June 16, 1989
Memorandum to Chriss Winston
From:
Jim Pinkerton.
Re:
Family Motor Coach Assoc. Draft
This is one of the better speech drafts I have seen.
To be sure the event is not one of the heaviest the President
has ever done, but the draft is perfect for the occasion. It
melds the two themes of family values and environmental protection
very effectively.
A few minor thoughts:
2,6 Perfectlv captures the two themes of the speech
3,3 Citing Thoreau is good, but the sharper axe image is
not necessarily the best we can do. As I remember reading some-
where, Eisenhower said that the reason he wanted to own some
land near Gettysburg, PA was that he wanted to leave some part
of God's earth in better condition than when he found it.
That may be a better illustration of the stewardship ethic that
we want to propound.
7,2 Having gone to some trouble to set up the "blue highways/
narrow path concept," we then conspicuously fail to follow up
with a super-duper example of some meritorious volunteer who
happens to be sitting in the front row of the audience in Richmond.
In this vein, the second sentence of the second graf should read:
"On that score, many of you are like
, who
"
#
CC: Roger Porter
Bill Roper
John Gardner
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
89 JUN 16 P5: 06
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
Comments
allached
James W, Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
89. 06/16 16:25 P02 DEPT : F INTERIOR
6 THE INTERIOR
United States Department of the Interior
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
March
1849
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Denise Schwarz, Cabinet Affairs
FROM:
Selma Sierra, Department of the Interior
58
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: Family Motor Coach
Association
We would make the following suggested changes/additions to
this speech:
ON PAGE THREE, THIRD FULL PARAGRAPH, LAST LINE:
Churchill
"democratic" should be spelled with a small "d"!
ON PAGE THREE, THE LAST PARAGRAPH SHOULD BE REWRITTEN AS
FOLLOWS:
"We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. I have proposed
to Congress $206 million a year for the next five years in
Land and Water Conservation Fund purchases, up from $17
million in the original FY 1990 budget. This represents a
major improvement in the protection of the quality of
American life for future generations. Land acquisitions in
27 states and 2 territories are proposed through the
National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the
Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service."
ON PAGE FOUR, FOLLOWING THE FIRST FULL PARAGRAPH, INSERT THE
FOLLOWING:
My Secretary of the Interior, Manuel Lujan, is taking the
lead in our attempts to preserve and add to the nation's
wetlands and our waterfowl population. Secretary Lujan has
proposed a program that would create a trust fund, using the
the "Pittman-Robertson" fund, monies which are generated
from existing taxes on sporting goods. We anticipate it
would be about $10 million per year. The monies would be
used as part of a public-private sector initiative under the
North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Working with
Canada under that Plan, we seek to restore, enhance and
protect this continent's waterfowl. I fully support this
new initiative.
89. 06/16 16:25 P03 * DEPT F INTERIOR
IN PLACE OF THE THIRD FULL PARAGRAPH ON PAGE FOUR, INSERT
THE FOLLOWING:
"To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. And I'm looking to Congress to provide a
comprehensive wetlands bill that I can sign this year. In
addition, the Department of Interior's Duck Stamp program
provides millions of dollars each year for acquisition of
wetlands. Not only hunters buy these duck stamps -- all
Americans can, and should buy them! In Fiscal Year 1988,
the Fish and Wildlife Service acquired 65,846 acres using
$31.7 million generated by the sale of duck stamps. As of
March 31, 1989, $14.8 million has been obligated to acquire
32,831 acres this fiscal year. And of course, we anticipate
that more will be acquired. Finally, through the
Departments of Agriculture and Interior, we are actively
working with American farmers through the Farm Bill program
to provide technical assistance on matters related to
wetland identification and conservation assistance. More
than one-third of the nation's threatened and endangered
plant species and one-half of the animal species are
dependent on wetlands. Protection of wetlands habitat will
therefore also help to preserve these species."
ON PAGE FIVE, IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, REWRITE AS FOLLOWS:
"It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation by getting involved in the
Take Pride in America campaign -- promoting the careful
stewardship of our public lands and resources. I know that
Barbara is delighted to be serving on the Take Pride
National Awards Panel this year.
And we need to get the word out that many of our land
management agencies depend on volunteers. Volunteers work
with the Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other
agencies to give just the kind of voluntary, local effort it
will take to bring us into a better partnership with
nature."
FILE
REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
THANK YOU, RICHARD.
[[ You KNOW, I HEAR A LOT AT THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT NEW
TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS. SCIENTISTS TELL ME ABOUT
OUR LATEST ADVANCES IN ELECTRONICS, COMPUTERS,
BIOGENETICS. AND THAT'S ALL VERY INTERESTING.
- 2 -
BUT I STILL CAN'T GET OVER THE FACT THAT HERE IN
AMERICA, WE HAVE HOUSES THAT CAN DO 55 INTO A
HEADWIND... [PAUSE]
OF COURSE, YOU MAY REMEMBER IN THE WIZARD OF Oz,
HOW AUNTIE EM'S HOUSE GOT LIFTED UP AND CARRIED OFF BY
A TORNADO. AMERICA'S FIRST AIR-BORNE RV! BUT SHE HAD
THE ADVANTAGE OF A TAILWIND. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY...
[PAUSE] ]]
- 3 -
IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE VISITING WITH SUCH AN
OUTSTANDING GROUP OF AMERICANS ON THE MOVE. WHEN THIS
ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED BY A HANDFUL OF FAMILIES IN
1963, NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT 26 YEARS LATER,
YOU'D BE 65,000 STRONG -- AND GROWING.
BUT YOU'RE AN EXAMPLE OF A LONG-STANDING TRADITION
IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT BEGAN 150 YEARS AGO, WHEN
AMERICANS SET OUT TO EXPLORE THE LANDS WEST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
- 4 -
TODAY, YOU CONTINUALLY REDISCOVER THE MIRACLE OF
AMERICA'S ABUNDANCE, THROUGH THE ROMANCE OF THE ROAD.
[[ AND EVERY MORNING, WHEN A CONVOY PACKS UP AND
TAKES OFF, YOU GIVE A HAPPY NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE,
"THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD." ]]
YOU'VE COME TO KNOW THE AMERICA MOST OF US ONLY
HEAR ABOUT NOW AND THEN. You've TRADED IN REAL ESTATE
FOR "WHEEL" ESTATES. TRAVELLED TO AND THROUGH TOWNS
WITH NAMES LIKE DIME Box, TEXAS.
- 5 -
SCRATCH ANKLE, ALABAMA. TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW
MEXICO. GNAWBONE, INDIANA. AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES --
NAMELESS, TENNESSEE.
WHETHER YOU ESCAPE FOR WEEKENDS -- OR MIGRATE FOR
MONTHS AT A TIME -- ALL OF YOU HAVE FOUND AND FOSTERED
A SPECIAL FELLOWSHIP IN THE CAMARADERIE OF THE ROAD.
AND AS THOSE MILES ROLL OUT BENEATH YOU, IT SEEMS
THAT YOUR IDEALS -- TRADITIONAL AMERICAN IDEALS --
BECOME EVER MORE FIRMLY ROOTED.
- 6 -
THEY'RE THE IDEALS OF FREEDOM. SELF-RELIANCE. THE
LOVE OF NATURE -- AND OF THIS NATION. AND ABOVE ALL,
THE NURTURING OF FAMILY VALUES.
TODAY THESE FUNDAMENTAL AMERICAN VALUES MUST BE
REAFFIRMED. WE ARE AT A POINT IN OUR HISTORY WHEN
THERE CAN BE NO STANDING STILL. WE MUST EITHER MOVE
FORWARD, OR RISK SLIDING BACKWARD.
- 7 -
IT IS TIME TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENTS -- BOTH TO
NATURE, AND TO OUR FELLOW MAN. THE AMERICAN SPIRIT OF
EXPLORATION MUST BE JOINED WITH A NEW SENSE OF
RESTORATION.
THE NATURAL WORLD THAT SUPPORTS US -- AND THE
SOCIETY THAT SUSTAINS US -- BOTH NEED OUR HELP.
THE NATURAL BEAUTY THAT YOU AND I ENJOY TODAY IS A
SACRED TRUST. So WE MUST DO MORE THAN SIMPLY LIMIT THE
DAMAGE WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
- 8 -
WE MUST WORK TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE THE INTEGRITY AND
RICHNESS OF THIS CONTINENT'S NATURAL SPLENDOR.
You NEVER FEEL THAT MORE FULLY THAN WHEN YOU SEE
THE GREAT OUTDOORS THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD, OR
GRANDCHILD. THAT'S ONE REASON I BELIEVE IT'S TIME TO
RENEW THE ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC IN AMERICA.
HENRY DAVID THOREAU'S IDEAL WAS THAT IF YOU BORROW
AN AXE, YOU SHOULD RETURN IT SHARPER THAN WHEN YOU GOT
IT.
- 9 -
PRESIDENT EISENHOWER PROBABLY HAD THAT IN MIND, WHEN HE
DECIDED TO BUY SOME FARMLAND WITH RUN-DOWN SOIL NEAR
GETTYSBURG -- TO LET NATURE'S RESTORATION TAKE ITS
COURSE. AND HE LIVED TO SEE HIS EXPERIMENT WORKING:
"THERE ARE ENOUGH LUSH FIELDS," HE SAID, "To ASSURE ME
THAT I SHALL LEAVE THE PLACE BETTER THAN I FOUND IT."
THAT MUST BE EVERY AMERICAN'S GOAL.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR OUR NATIONAL
PARKS.
- 10 -
THE IDEA OF A "NATIONAL" PARK IS AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL,
THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS COME TO ADMIRE AND
IMITATE -- BECAUSE THOSE PARKS ARE WIDE OPEN, FOR
EVERYONE TO ENJOY. IT WAS ONCE SAID THAT THE NATIONAL
PARKS ARE AMERICA'S UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE
DEMOCRATIC IDEAL.
AND IT'S TRUE -- OUR PARKS ARE AMERICA'S MOST OPEN
INSTITUTIONS.
- 11 -
EIGHTY MILLION ACRES OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR TERRAIN ON
THE PLANET -- OPEN TO THE WIND, THE SKY, AND THE
STARS -- AND TO EVERY TRAVELLER WITH THE SENSE AND THE
SPIRIT TO STAY A MOMENT AND APPRECIATE NATURE'S BEAUTY.
WE NEED TO MAKE THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE
TO EVEN MORE AMERICANS, IN MORE PARTS OF AMERICA.
- 12 -
So I'VE PROPOSED TO CONGRESS AN INCREASE OF NEARLY 200
MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR RECREATIONAL LAND
ACQUISITIONS IN 27 STATES -- THROUGH THE NATIONAL PARK
SERVICE, THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, THE BUREAU OF
LAND MANAGEMENT, AND THE FOREST SERVICE.
THESE FUNDS WILL GO FOR EVERYTHING FROM "PARKS FOR
PEOPLE" IN URBAN AREAS, TO VALUABLE HABITATS AS CLOSE
BY AS THE JAMES RIVER AND THE EASTERN SHORE HERE IN
VIRGINIA.
- 13 -
SOME OF THE OTHER ACQUISITIONS RANGE ALL THE WAY OUT TO
BIG HOLE RIVER IN MONTANA, THE Bizz JOHNSTON TRAIL IN
CALIFORNIA, PELICAN ISLAND IN FLORIDA, AND MOUNT BAKER
IN WASHINGTON. [[ MANY OF YOU WILL SEE THOSE PLACES.
TAKE A FEW PICTURES FOR ME. THEY DON'T LET ME OUT
ENOUGH. ]]
I WANT TO PRESERVE OUR SCENIC BYWAYS -- THOSE
PICTURESQUE ROADS THAT OFFER POWERFUL VIEWS OF THE
NATION'S NATURAL SPLENDOR.
- 14 -
THESE ARE THE ROADS AMERICANS LOVE -- AND SUCH SCENIC
ROADS CAN AND SHOULD BE DESIGNATED FOR THE CONVENIENCE
AND ENJOYMENT OF TRAVELERS. WE'VE ALREADY DESIGNATED
43 NATIONAL FOREST SCENIC BYWAYS, IN 25 STATES -- AND
THE CHIEF OF THE FOREST SERVICE EXPECTS TO SET ASIDE
MANY MORE. By END OF THIS WEEK, THE BUREAU OF LAND
MANAGEMENT EXPECTS TO IDENTIFY ABOUT 25 NEW BACK
COUNTRY BYWAYS, NATIONWIDE. AND WE WILL DO MORE.
- 15 -
To PROTECT OUR WETLANDS, WE'VE SET UP A FEDERAL
TASK FORCE TO DELIVER ON OUR PLEDGE OF NO NET LOSS OF
THESE PRECIOUS HABITATS. WE'VE ASKED FOR NEARLY $200
MILLION IN NEW FUNDING FOR ACQUISITIONS UNDER THE LAND
AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND. AND I'M LOOKING TO
CONGRESS TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE WETLANDS BILL THAT
I CAN SIGN THIS YEAR.
TEN DAYS AGO, I OUTLINED BADLY-NEEDED REFORMS TO
THE CLEAN AIR AcT.
- 16 -
IF CONGRESS WILL PASS THAT LEGISLATION, THE DEGRADATION
TO OUR LAKES AND STREAMS CAUSED BY ACID RAIN -- AND THE
DAMAGE TO OUR FORESTS CAUSED BY WIND-BLOWN URBAN
OZONE -- WILL STOP BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY. ALL
CATEGORIES OF AIRBORNE INDUSTRIAL TOXIC CHEMICALS WILL
BE CUT BY THREE QUARTERS, BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY.
AND TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW, EVERY AMERICAN -- IN EVERY
CITY IN AMERICA -- WILL BREATHE CLEAN AIR.
- 17 -
IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT SO MANY OF YOU ARE
REAFFIRMING THE AMERICAN ETHIC OF CONSERVATION, BY
GETTING INVOLVED IN THE TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA PROGRAM -
- PROMOTING THE CAREFUL STEWARDSHIP OF OUR PUBLIC LANDS
AND RESOURCES. I KNOW THAT BARBARA IS DELIGHTED TO BE
CHAIRING A PANEL OF JUDGES FOR THAT PROGRAM. AND WE
NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT, THAT OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND
OTHER FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES DEPEND ON
VOLUNTEERS.
- 18 -
THIS IS JUST THE KIND OF VOLUNTARY, LOCAL EFFORT IT
WILL TAKE TO BRING US INTO A BETTER PARTNERSHIP WITH
NATURE.
MANY OF YOU ARE ALREADY INVOLVED WITH VOLUNTARY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS. So LET ME PAY MY RESPECTS TO A
GREAT GROUP OF RAMBLING RECYCLERS OUT THERE -- THE SAN
DIEGO CAN CRUSHERS. LET'S HEAR IT FOR THEM.
- 19 -
BUT I MENTIONED A SECOND COMMITMENT A FEW MINUTES
AGO -- TO OUR FELLOW MAN. WE MUST TAKE THAT COMMITMENT
TO HEART, AS WELL. FOR EVEN AS WE WORK TO RESTORE
NATURE TO ITS BALANCE, WE MUST ALSO RESTORE THE FABRIC
OF THE SOCIETY, REWEAVING THE THREADS OF LIVES TORN BY
POVERTY, DESPAIR, AND ALIENATION.
THAT MEANS RENEWING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. RESTORING
SHELTER TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST IT. PROVIDING THE POWER
OF LITERACY TO THOSE WHO LACK IT.
- 20 -
OFFERING SUPPORT AND AN EXAMPLE TO CHILDREN WHO NEED
IT. AND LENDING A HAND TO THE VULNERABLE, THE INFIRM,
THE FORGOTTEN.
MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY PUT YOUR BELIEF IN THE
VALUE OF SHARED STRENGTH AND STRONG FAMILY LIFE TO WORK
-- REACHING OUT TO HELP THE HOMELESS THROUGH THE BETTER
HOMES FOUNDATION -- WITH TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, DAY
CARE, MEDICAL CARE, COUNSELING, AND JOB TRAINING.
- 21 -
OUT THERE TODAY, I KNOW, ARE MEMBERS OF ACHIEVERS
INTERNATIONAL -- WHO DO OUTSTANDING WORK WITH THE
DISABLED. OTHER FMCA MEMBERS HAVE JOINED FORCES WITH
THE LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA, IN A "ROUNDUP FOR
LITERACY" CAMPAIGN, TO PROVIDE TUTORING THROUGH 350
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IN 38 STATES. I'M TOLD THAT IN THE
PAST TWO YEARS ALONE, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND
VOLUNTEERS GREW BY 47 PERCENT.
- 22 -
ONE FORMER STUDENT SAID, "I SEE THE WORLD IN A
TOTALLY NEW WAY." ANOTHER SAID, "I FEEL AS THOUGH A
LIGHT HAS BEEN TURNED ON IN MY LIFE." As GOOD AS THAT
STUDENT FELT, IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THE TUTOR.
THERE IS NO GREATER FEELING THAN TO HAVE SOMEONE
DEPENDING ON YOU -- AND TO LIVE UP TO THEIR
EXPECTATIONS.
- 23 -
YOUR INVOLVEMENT MAKES YOU PART OF A CONSTELLATION OF
CONCERNED CITIZENS, COMMITTED TO BUILDING A BETTER
AMERICA -- BOTH IN HER NATURAL BEAUTY, AND IN THE
QUALITIES OF HER CITIZENS. LET ME ADD MY VOICE TO
THOSE THANKING YOU -- AND LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO
MORE. IT WON'T BE EASY. BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT.
MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY READ THE BOOK ABOUT LIFE
ON THE ROAD CALLED BLUE HIGHWAYS.
- 24 -
It's WRITTEN BY A MAN WHO TRAVELS ALL OVER AMERICA,
AVOIDING THE INTERSTATES, DELIBERATELY TAKING THE
OLDER, SMALLER ROADS -- THE "BLUE" ONES ON HIS MAPS.
THERE'S A LESSON THERE, THAT SO MANY OF YOU HAVE
ALREADY LEARNED, AND ARE LIVING -- A LESSON THAT MORE
AMERICANS MUST HEED. MORE OF US MUST FEEL OURSELVES
COMPELLED TO LOOK BEYOND THE WIDE AND EASY PATH. To
FOLLOW A LESS TRAVELLED, PERHAPS OLDER ROUTE.
- 25 -
SOMETIMES IT'S MORE DIFFICULT. It's OFTEN MORE TIME-
CONSUMING. BUT IT'S ALWAYS MORE REWARDING.
IT IS A PATH WHERE PROGRESS IS MEASURED BY THE GOOD
WE DO FOR OTHERS. ON THAT SCORE, MANY OF YOU ARE LIKE
VENA HEFNER, WHO'S WITH US TODAY. A GREAT LADY, 76
YEARS OLD. SHE SERVED AS A DRIVER FOR SECRETARY
MARSHALL DURING WORLD WAR II.
- 26 -
AFTER SUFFERING A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT, SHE HELPED FOUND
THE PARALYZED VETERANS ASSOCIATION -- AND HAS BEEN A
KEY MEMBER OF THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS. SINCE
HER ACCIDENT, SHE'S FOUND TIME TO DRIVE OVER ONE
MILLION MILES -- IN EVERY STATE IN THE LOWER 48. BY
HER TOUGH, INSPIRATIONAL EXAMPLE, VENA HEFNER HAS
HELPED DISABLED AMERICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY -- SHARING
HER STRENGTH ALONG THE WAY.
- 27 -
THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELLED WIDELY, AND HAVE SEEN
AMERICA'S BROAD EXPANSES, KNOW HOW MUCH WE HAVE BEEN
GIVEN AS A PEOPLE -- AND THEIR SPIRITS HAVE GROWN
ACCORDINGLY. THE EXPANSIVE SPIRIT OF AMERICA HAS
BOUNDLESS CAPACITY TO DO GOOD.
So I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A SIMPLE REQUEST. IN
WHATEVER EFFORT YOU MAKE TO RESTORE THIS COUNTRY'S
NATURAL BEAUTY -- OR TO HELP OTHER AMERICANS IN NEED --
MAKE IT A PILGRIMAGE WITH A PURPOSE.
- 28 -
WORK TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I'D ASK THAT YOU STOP, NOT
SIMPLY TO SMELL THE FLOWERS ALONG THE WAY, BUT TO HELP
THEM GROW.
THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU. AND GOD BLESS THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
###
045464SS
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
6/15/89
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
5:00 6/16/89
SUBJECT:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
BATES DARMAN Busy comeng
STUDDERT N/C
000
UNTERMEYER
000
BREEDEN
WI NSTON
CARD
ROGERS
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
PETERSMEYER
FITZWATER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please provide your comments/recommendations direclty to Chriss
Winston;s office with an info copy to my office by 5:00 Friday
June 16. Thnak you.
RESPONSE:
Both accurate statements
- in the same speech.
i.e., reducidant.
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Wallace)
June 15, 1989
means
5:10 p.m.
[CAMPERS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA STATE FAIRGROUND, RICHMOND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1989
5:45 P.M.
Thank you, [Acknowledgements]
[[ You know, I hear a lot at the White House about new
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics, computers, biogenetics. And that's all
very interesting.
But you known I still can't get over the fact that here in
America, we have houses that can do 55 into a headwind
...
Well, you may remember in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Auntie
Em did better than that. Probably got better mileage, too. Of
course, it's not really a fair comparison. She had a pretty
strong tailwind ]]
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. You know when this organization
was founded by a handful of families in 1963, no one could have
6
predicted that 25 years later, you'd be 65,000 strong -- and
growing.
But you're an example of a long-standing tradition in this
country, that began 150 years ago, when Americans in covered
wagons set out to explore the lands west of the Mississippi
River. Today, you continually re-discover the miracle of
America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
2
[[ And every morning, when a convoy packs up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood." ]]
You've come to know the America most of us only hear about
now and then. You've traded in real estate for "wheel" estates.
Travelled to and through towns with names like Dime Box, Texas.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama. Brooklyn Bridge, Kentucky Gnawbone,
Truth or Consegnence, New Heinco.
Indiana. 1 And one of my favorites -- Nameless, Tennessee.
Whether you escape for weekends -- or migrate for months at
a time -- all of you have found and fostered a special fellowship
in the camaraderie of the road.
And no matter how many miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your kind of people become ever more firmly rooted in
traditional American ideals. Ideals of freedom. Self-reliance.
The love of nature -- and of this nation. And above all, the
nurturing of family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be reaffirmed.
We are at a point in our history when there can be no standing
still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding backward.
It is time to renew our commitments -- both to nature, and
to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
The natural world that supports us -- and the society that
sustains us -- both need our help.
You know, the natural beauty that you and I enjoy today is a
sacred trust. So we must do more than simply limit the damage
3
we've already done. We must work to preserve and restore the
integrity and richness of this continent's natural splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the great
outdoors through the eyes of a child, or grandchild. That's one
reason I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic in
America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an axe,
It is
Checkown Elsen story en
you should return it sharper than when you got it.
Equally true
that our natural heritage must be handled with care -- it must be
recovered and restored -- and handed to the next generation
better than when we found it.
That's why we need to do more for our national parks. The
idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire -- because those parks are wide
open, for everyone to enjoy. Winston Churchill had it exactly
right, when he said, "The national parks are America's unique
contribution to the Democratic ideal.'
It's true -- our parks are America's most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the
planet -- open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and to
every traveller with the sense and the spirit to stay a moment
and appreciate nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
check
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of 177 million dollars a year for
#
200
boon
recreational land acquisitions through the National Park Service,
$206
in 27 states
4
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Forest Service.
These funds will go for everything from "Parks for People"
in urban areas, to valuable habitats as close by as the James
River and the Eastern Shore here in Virginia. Some of the other
acquisitions range all the way out to Big Hole River in Montana,
the Bizz Johnston Trail in California, Pelican Island in Florida,
and Mount Baker in Washington. [[ Many of you will see those
places. Take a few pictures for me. They don't let me out
enough. ]]
I want to preserve and extend our scenic byways -- those
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's
natural splendor. These are the roads Americas n love, and we'll
be working closely with Congress to make scenic byways an
integral part of the 1991 highway bill.
To protect our wetlands, we've set up a Federal Task Force
to deliver on our pledge of no net loss of these precious
habitats. We've asked for nearly $200 million in new funding for
acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And I'm
looking to Congress to provide a comprehensive wetlands bill that
I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the Clean
Air Act. If Congress will pass that legislation, the degradation
to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the damage to
our forests caused by wind-blown urban ozone -- will stop by the
end of this century. All categories of airborne industrial toxic
5
chemicals will be cut by three quarters, by the end of this
century. And twenty years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. That's what I'd call
progress.
It's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming the
American ethic of conservation, by getting involved in the Take
Pride in America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of
our public lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted
to be serving chairing on the Panel for that program. And we need to get
and many other land federal land
the word out, that our National Parks depend on volunteers. This
moozenet
agances
is just the kind of voluntary, local effort it will take to bring
us into a better partnership with nature.
Speaking of voluntary environmental effort, let me pay my
respects to a great group of rambling recyclers out there -- the
San Diego Can Crushers.
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago -- to
our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart, as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must
also restore the fabric of the society, reweaving the threads of
lives torn by poverty, despair, and alienation.
That means renewing our neighborhoods. Restoring shelter to
those who have lost it. Providing the power of literacy to those
who lack it. Offering support and an example to children who
need it. And lending a hand to the vulnerable, the infirm, the
forgotten.
6
Many of you have already put your belief in the value of
shared strength and strong family life to work -- reaching out to
help the homeless through the Better Homes Foundation -- with
transitional housing, day care, medical care, counseling, and job
training.
Out there today, I know, are members of Achievers
International -- who do outstanding work with the disabled.
Other FMCA members have joined forces with the Literacy
Volunteers of America, in a "Roundup for Literacy" campaign, to
provide tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states.
I'm told that in the past two years alone, the number of students
and volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally new
way.' Another said, "I feel as though a light has been turned on
in my life." As good as that student felt, imagine what it was
like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling that to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America --
both in her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens.
Let me add my voice to those thanking you -- and let me encourage
you to do more. It won't be easy. But it will be worth it.
Many of you have probably read the book about life on the
road called Blue Highways. It's about a man who travels all over
America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the older,
smaller roads -- the "blue" ones on his maps.
7
every
There's a lesson there, that so many of you have already
learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond
the wide and easy path. To follow a narrower, perhaps older
route. Sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more time-
consuming. But it's always more rewarding.
It is a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you have already travelled
light-years.
Those of you who have travelled widely, and seen America's
broad expanses, you know how much we have been given as a people
-- and your spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit
of America has boundless capacity to do good.
So I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever effort
you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to help
other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. I'd ask that you stop, not simply to
smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow.
Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States
of America.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Richmond, Virginia)
For Immediate Release
June 21, 1989
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO FAMILY MOTOR COACH ASSOCIATION
Virginia State Fairground
Richmond, Virginia
5:41 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. I'd like full
credit for having cleared it up here. (Laughter.) Thank you very,
very much for that warm welcome. And Richard, thank you, and Karen,
for your hospitality and for inviting us to come here today.
I want to pay my respects to Senator Warner, an
outstanding member of the United States Senate, who you welcomed a
minute ago, and my dear friend, the Congressman from this area, Tom
Bliley. We've got two good ones with us here today. (Applause.)
You know, at the White House I hear a lot about
technological achievements. Scientists tell me about our latest
advances in electronics and computers and biogenetics. And that's
all very interesting. But I still can't get over the fact that here
in America, we have houses that can do 55 miles an hour into a
headwind. (Laughter and applause.)
You may remember in The Wizard of Oz, how Auntie Em's
house got lifted up and carried off by a tornado. America's first
airborne RV. But she had the advantage of a tailwind. Your mileage
may vary. (Laughter.)
It is wonderful to be visiting with such an outstanding
group of Americans on the move. And I might say I'm very pleased to
see Derrick Crandall here, who has been a good friend of mine and who
has shown me the wonders of some of our most beautiful parks --
borrowing, I am sure, the vehicles to house us from some of you
sitting right here. But nevertheless, welcome and thank you, sir,
for your leadership in this marvelous recreational outdoors usage.
When this organization was founded by a handful of
families in 1963, no one could have predicted that 26 years later,
you'd be 65,000 strong -- and still growing. But you're an example
of a long-standing tradition in this country, and that began 150
years ago, when Americans set out to explore the lands west of the
Mississippi River. And today, you continually re-discover the
miracle of America's abundance, through the romance of the road.
And every morning, when a convoy picks up and takes off,
you give a happy new meaning to the phrase, "There goes the
neighborhood." (Laughter and
- 2 -
You know, as those miles roll out beneath you, it seems
that your ideals, traditional American ideals, become evermore firmly
rooted. And they're the ideals of freedom. Self-reliance. The love
of nature --- and of this nation. And above all, the nurturing of
family values.
Today these fundamental American values must be
reaffirmed. We're at a point in our history when there can be no
standing still. We must either move forward, or risk sliding
backward.
And it's time to renew our commitments -- both to nature,
and to our fellow man. The American spirit of exploration must be
joined with a new sense of restoration.
And the natural world that supports us -- and the society
that sustains us -- both need our help. The natural beauty that you
and I enjoy today is a sacred trust. So we must do more than simply
limit the damage that we've already done. We must work to preserve
and restore the integrity and richness of this continent's natural
splendor.
You never feel that more fully than when you see the
great outdoors through the eyes of a child, or of a grandchild. And
I had the pleasure of seeing it once again in Lake Jackson through
the eyes of our 13-year-old grandson just the other day. Barbara and
I had been with him a year or two ago in the same spot. And that's
one reason that I believe it's time to renew the environmental ethic
in America.
Henry David Thoreau's ideal was that if you borrow an
axe, you should return it sharper than when you got it. And
President Eisenhower probably had that in mind when he decided to buy
some farmland with rundown soil near Gettysburg to let nature's
restoration take its course. And he lived to see his experiment
working. "There are enough lush fields," he said, "to assure me that
I shall leave the place better than I found it. And that must be
every American's goal.
And that's why we need to do more for our national parks.
The idea of a "national" park is an American original, that the rest
of the world has come to admire and to imitate -- because those parks
are wide open, for everybody to enjoy. And it was once said that,
"The national parks are America's unique contribution to the
democratic ideal.'
And it's true -- our parks our most open institutions.
Eighty million acres of the most spectacular terrain on the planet --
open to the wind, the sky, and the stars -- and open to every
traveler with the sense and spirit to stay a moment and appreciate
nature's beauty.
We need to make that kind of experience available to even
more Americans, in more parts of America. So I've proposed to
Congress an increase of nearly $200 million a year for recreational
- 3 -
picturesque roads that offer powerful views of the nation's natural
But I want to preserve our scenic byways -- those
splendor. These are the roads that Americans love -- and such scenic
roads can and should be designated for the enjoyment and the
convenience of travelers. And we've already designated 43 national
forests/scenic byways in 25 states. And the Chief of the Forest
Service expects to set aside many more.
By the end of this week, the Bureau of Land Management
expects to identify about 25 new back-country byways nationwide, and
we will do more. (Applause.)
I look around this crowd, and I recognize the profile of
some that might fit the description of hunters; I'm one. Hunted and
enjoyed wetlands. the outdoors all my life. And I'm interested in the
And to protect our wetlands, we've set up a federal task
force to deliver on my pledge of no net loss of wetlands, no net loss
of these precious habitats. (Applause.) And we've asked for nearly
$200 million in new funding for acquisitions under the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. And I'm looking to Congress to provide a
comprehensive wetlands bill that I can sign this year.
Ten days ago, I outlined badly-needed reforms to the
Clean Air Act. And if Congress will pass that legislation, the
degradation to our lakes and streams caused by acid rain -- and the
damage to our forests caused by windblown urban ozone -- will stop by
the end of this century. (Applause.) All categories of airborne
industrial toxic chemicals will be cut by three quarters by the end
of this century. And 20 years from now, every American -- in every
city in America -- will breathe clean air. And that should be a
national goal. (Applause.)
And it's good to hear that so many of you are reaffirming
the ethic of conservation by getting involved in the Take Pride in
America Program -- promoting the careful stewardship of our public
lands and resources. I know that Barbara is delighted to be chairing
a panel of judges for that program. And we need to get the word out
that our national parks and other federal land management agencies
depend on volunteers. This is just the kind of voluntary local
effort that it will take to bring us into a better partnership with
nature.
Many of you are already involved with voluntary
environmental efforts, so let me pay my respects to a great group of
rambling recyclers out there, the San Diego Can Crushers. Let's hear
it for the San Diego Can Crushers. (Applause.) Now we can do better
than that. (Applause.)
But I mentioned a second commitment a few minutes ago --
to our fellow man. We must take that commitment to heart as well.
For even as we work to restore nature to its balance, we must also
restore the fabric of our society, reweaving the threads of lives
torn by poverty and despair and alienation.
- 4 -
And other FMCA members have joined forces with the
Literacy Volunteers of America -- one of Barbara's very special
programs that she does so much to help with -- that program in a
"Roundup of Literacy" campaign is getting your help -- provides
tutoring through 350 community programs in 38 states. And I'm told
that in the past two years alone, the numbers of students and
volunteers grew by 47 percent.
One former student said, "I see the world in a totally
new way. And another said, "I feel as though a light has been
turned on in my life. As good as that student felt, imagine what it
felt like for the tutor. There is no greater feeling than to have
someone depending on you -- and to live up to their expectations.
Your involvement makes you part of a constellation of
concerned citizens, committed to building a better America -- both in
her natural beauty, and in the qualities of her citizens. And so let
me add my voice to those thanking you --- and let me encourage you to
do even more. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it.
And many of you have probably read the book about life
on the road called Blue Highways. It's written by a man who travels
all over America, avoiding the interstates, deliberately taking the
older, smaller roads -- the blue ones on his map.
And there's a lesson there, that so many of you have
already learned, and are living -- a lesson that more Americans must
heed. More of us must feel ourselves compelled to look beyond the
wide and easy path -- to follow a less-traveled, perhaps older route.
And sometimes it's more difficult. It's often more) time-consuming.
But it's always more rewarding.
It's a path where progress is measured by the good we do
for others. On that score, many of you are like Vena Hefner who is
with us today, a great lady -- 76 years old -- she served as a driver
for Secretary Marshall during World War II. And after suffering a
motorcycle accident, she helped found the Paralyzed Veterans
Association and has been a key member of the Disabled American Vets.
And since her accident, she has found time to drive over one million
miles in every state in the lower 48. By her tough, inspirational
example, Vena has helped disabled Americans across the country,
sharing her strength along the road.
Those who have traveled widely and have seen America's
broad expanses, know how much we have been given as a people -- and
their spirits have grown accordingly. The expansive spirit of
America has boundless capacity to do good.
And so I'll leave you with a simple request. In whatever
effort you make to restore this country's natural beauty -- or to
help other Americans in need -- make it a pilgrimage with a purpose.
Work to make a difference. And I'd ask you that you stop, not simply
to smell the flowers along the way, but to help them grow. We are
privileged to live in the greatest, freest, most inspirational
country in the entire world. Let's make it all a little better.