October 13, 1999
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT "ROADLESS" LANDS EVENT
Reddish Knob Overlook
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Virginia
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Peter Pinchot, Secretary
Glickman, Under Secretary Lyons. I also want to acknowledge Mike
Dombeck,
the Chief of the Forest Service; and George Frampton, the Chair of the
Council on Environmental Quality.
There are many, many things I'd like to say today, but before
I
begin, there has been -- there was a development in the news today that
I
need to make a comment on, because I believe this is my only opportunity
to
see the press and, through them, speak to the American people.
So I would like to just take a moment to note that after years
of
denial and deception, the Philip Morris Company has admitted that
cigarette
smoking causes lung cancer and other diseases. This formal
acknowledgement
comes far too late, but still we must all welcome it. It can be the
beginning of clearing the air.
It certainly makes clear, as I've said for years, that the
tobacco
companies should answer for their actions in court. They should stop
marketing their products to children. And certainly, they should do
much
more to reduce youth smoking.
So this is a good day for the cause of public health and our
children in America. (Applause.)
Now, Peter talked about his grandfather and Theodore
Roosevelt.
One of my proudest possessions -- some of you know I collect old books
about
America. I just finished reading a fascinating account by Frances
Perkins,
the first woman to serve in the Cabinet, who was President Franklin
Roosevelt's Labor Secretary during his entire tenure -- about her
35-year
relationship with Roosevelt. One of my proudest old American books is a
first printing of the proceedings of the very first Governors
Conference,
held at the invitation of Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. The subject was
the
conservation of America's natural resources.
In my private dining room at the White House I have a picture
of
Theodore Roosevelt and all those governors, signed by all the governors
with
whom I served in 1992, when I was elected President. That first
Governor's
Conference remains one of the most important ever held in the White
House.
So much of what we've done as a nation to conserve our natural resources
extends from that day. Peter's grandfather was a guiding spirit behind
that
conference.
Theodore Roosevelt, himself, said of Gifford Pinchot, "If it
hadn't been for him, this conference neither would have, nor could have,
been called." Gifford Pinchot used to say that "we must prefer results
to
routine." I like that a lot. (Laughter.) And let me say that, in my
view, no one illustrates that principle in our public life today better
than
Mike Dombeck, who has done such a remarkable job of returning the Forest
Service to the vision of stewardship on which it was founded, And I
thank
you, sir. Thank you. (Applause.)
A century ago, when Mr. Pinchot was first dreaming up his plan
to
protect our forests, this vista looked very different than what we see
today. In fact, it was more wasteland than forest. According to one
eyewitness -- and I quote -- "weather-white ghosts of trees stood on the
desolate slopes as a pitiful, battle-scared fragment of the glory that
was
once a virgin forest." Not only were the slopes nearly bare, tanneries
and
dye plants had poisoned the lakes and the mountain streams. The deer
and
black bear and turkey nearly were wiped out. The land and water were so
thoroughly abused that most people thought the area had no value at all.
I know that they don't agree with that now because we have so
many
of the fine local officials from this area show up here today. I
thank them for their presence and they can be proud of what they
represent.
Visionaries like Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, the
other
men and women of the Forest Service who have cared for this land
since 1917, made those dark descriptions a part of history. Nowadays,
hundreds of thousands of visitors come here every year to hike, swim,
bike,
hunt, fish, or just to breathe the fresh air and take in the beautiful
sights. The land that once no one wanted is now a thriving forest
everyone
can enjoy.
This kind of land has been important to me since I was a boy,
where I learned by walking the Ozark and Quachita National Forests of my
home state that national forests are more than a source of timber, they
are
places of renewal of the human spirit and our natural environment. At
the
dawn of the new century we have the opportunity to act on behalf of
these
forests in a way that honors the vision of our forbears, Roosevelt and
Pinchot.
Within our national forests there are large parcels of land
that
don't contain roads of any kind and, in most cases, never have. From
the
beautiful stretch of the Alleghenys that we see here to the old-growth
canyonlands of Tahoe National Forest, these areas represent some of the
last, best, unprotected wildland anywhere in our nation. They offer
unparalleled opportunities for hikers, hunters and anglers. They're
absolutely critical to the survival of many endangered species, as you
have
just heard.
And I think it's worth pointing out they are also very often a
source of clean and fresh water for countless communities. They are,
therefore, our treasured inheritance.
Today, we launch one of the largest land preservation efforts
in
America's history to protect these priceless, back-country lands. The
Forest Service will prepare a detailed analysis of how best to preserve
our
forests' large roadless areas, and then present a formal proposal to do
just
that. The Forest Service will also determine whether similar protection
is
warranted for smaller roadless areas that have not yet been surveyed.
Through this action, we will protect more than 40 million
acres,
20 percent of the total forest land in America in the national forests
--
(applause) -- from activities, such as new road construction which would
degrade the land. We will ensure that our grandchildren will be able to
hike up to this peak, that others like it across the country will also
offer
the same opportunities. We will assure that when they get to the top
they'll be able to look out on valleys like this, just as beautiful then
as
they are now.
We will live up to the challenge Theodore Roosevelt laid down
a
century ago to leave this land even a better land for our descendants
than
it is for us.
It is very important to point out that we are not trying to
turn
the national forests into museums. Even as we strengthen protections,
the
majority of our forests will continue to be responsibly managed for
sustainable timber production and other activities. We are, once again,
determined to prove that environmental protection and economic growth
can,
and must, go hand in hand.
Let me give you an example, because I've seen a lot of people
already saying a lot of terrible things about what I'm doing today, and
how
it is going to end the world as we know it. (Laughter.) This
initiative
should have almost no effect on timber supply. Only five percent of our
country's timber comes from the national forests. Less than five
percent of
the national forests' timber is now being cut in roadless areas. We can
easily adjust our federal timber program to replace five percent of five
percent, but we can never replace what we might destroy if we don't
protect
these 40 million acres. (Applause.)
As the previous speaker said, today's action is the latest
step
taken under the administration of Vice President Gore and me to expand
our
children's natural treasures. Over the past six and a half years, we've
protected millions of acres, from the Yellowstone to the Everglades,
from
the ancient redwoods of Headwaters to the red rock canyons of Utah.
We're
working now to save New Mexico's spectacular Baca Ranch.
As Secretary Babbitt has said many times, our administration
has
now protected more land than any in the history of the country except
those
of Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt.
I have also proposed an unprecedented $1-billion Lands Legacy
Initiative, with permanent funding over the years to guarantee for the
first time ever a continuing fund for protecting and restoring precious
lands across America. This initiative represents the largest investment
in
protecting our green and open spaces since President Theodore Roosevelt
set
our nation on this path nearly a century ago. It would allow us to save
Civil War battlefields, remote stretches of the historic Lewis and Clark
Trail, nearly half a million acres in California desert parks and
wilderness
areas. It will also allow us to meet the stewardship challenges of the
new
century by helping communities save small but sacred spaces closer to
home.
Unfortunately, this Congress seems intent on walking away from
this opportunity. They're trying to slash Lands Legacy funding by a
full
two-thirds this year alone, with no action at all to ensure permanent
funding in the years ahead. This is not an isolated case,
unfortunately.
Once again, the leaders of the Republican majority are polluting our
spending bills with special interest riders that would promote
overcutting
in our forests, allow mining companies to dump more toxic waste on
public
land, and give a huge windfall to companies producing oil on federal
lands.
I have vetoed such bills before because they were loaded up
with
anti-environmental riders. If necessary, I will do so again.
(Applause.)
So, as Congress completes its work on the Interior bill, again
I
ask the leadership to send me a clean bill that adequately funds the
Lands
Legacy Initiative and other priorities. But let me be clear, if the
Interior bill lands on my desk looking like it does now, I will give it
a
good environmental response -- I will send it straight back to the
recycling
bin. (Laughter and applause.)
Ever since that first Governors Conference back in 1908,
conservation has been a cause important enough to Americans to transcend
party lines. I hope, somehow, we can make it a bipartisan -- even a
nonpartisan -- issue again. Theodore Roosevelt was a great Republican
President. Franklin Roosevelt was a great Democratic President.
President
Nixon signed a bill creating the Environmental Protection Agency. Over
and
over again in the last seven years in which I have had the honor to
serve as
President, I have worked with people who were both Democrats and
Republicans
on conservation issues.
Again I have the feeling that this is not a partisan issue
anywhere but Washington, D.C., and perhaps in a few other places
throughout
the country. We can't afford that.
When I was a boy growing up in my hometown, it was in a
national
park, and I could never be in the downtown of my hometown, which was a
big
city by Arkansas standards -- 35,000 people -- that even if you were
anywhere downtown, you weren't more than five minutes walk from the
woods.
I know what this can mean to our children and our future.
When I
was governor, I was proud that, after leaving office after 12 years, we
had -- a higher percentage of our land in Arkansas was timberland than
it
was on the day that I took office, for the first time. And we always
did
this across party lines. No state was more active in using the Nature
Conservancy to buy land and set it aside, and we always did it across
party
lines.
When people walk through these woods and run into one another,
they may talk a lot of things, but I'll bet you very few of them say,
are
you a Republican or a Democrat. I'll bet you've never asked anybody
that on
a mountain trail.
We want this for our children forever. And it is important
that
we set a good example. Earlier, Mr. Pinchot talked about the
deterioration
of the rain forests and the loss of biodiversity around the globe. If
we
want to help other people meet those challenges, and the even larger
challenge of climate change, we have to set a good example. We have the
wealth and security to do it. We also have no excuse, because now we
have
the scientific knowledge and the technical means to grow the economy
while
we improve the environment.
It is no longer necessary to grow a modern economy by
destroying
natural resources and putting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
In
fact, we can create more jobs by following a responsible path to
sustainable
development.
So I hope this day will be important not only for our
forestland,
but the preservation of fresh water and biodiversity and recreational
opportunities. I hope it will be the first step in America resuming a
path
of responsible leadership toward the environmental future we will
increasingly share with our neighbors all across the globe. And I hope
all
of you will always be very proud of the role you played in this special
day.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 1:42 P.M. EDT
