THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Lisbon, Portugal)
| For
Immediate Release |
May
31 , 2000 |
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
I am pleased to receive Secretary Babbitt's recommendations
today for the creation of new national monuments to protect unique federal
lands in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
As trustee of much of our nation's natural endowment,
the federal government must do its utmost to ensure lasting protection
of our most precious lands. That is why I asked the Secretary to identify
federal lands most in need of additional protection, and why I have
exercised my authority under the Antiquities Act to grant such protection
to some of our most cherished landscapes -- from California's ancient
sequoias to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
Each of the areas recommended today represents an exceptional,
irreplaceable piece of America's natural and cultural heritage.
I will carefully consider the recommendations and hope to reach a decision
on them in the near future.
Click here for the Department of Interior's press release regarding
Secretary Babbitt's monument recomendations to the President
