123STA T . 3 704PROCL A M AT I O N8 423 — S E PT. 2 5, 200 9conti n ue t h ei rw or k o fs ecurin ga safer , freer wor ld for generations to co m e .T he C ongress, byS enate J oint R esolution 1 1 5 of June 23 ,1 9 3 6(4 9 Stat. 1 8 95 as amended ) , has designated the last Sunday in Se p tember as ‘ ‘ G old Star M other ’ s D ay.’’ NOW ,T HE RE F ORE, I , BA RAC K OBAMA, P resident of the U nited States of America, by v irtue of the authority vested in me by the Con - stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sun- day, September 2 7 ,2 0 08, as Gold Star Mother’s and Families’ Day. I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this special day. I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate cere- monies as a public e x pression of our Nation’s sympathy and respect for our Gold Star Mothers and Families. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our L ord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth. BARACK OBAMA Proclam a ti o n8423 o fSep tem b er2 5, 2 0 0 9Nation a lPub li cL an dsRe co g nition D a y,20 0 9BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation Borne out of a commitment to protect and preserve our natural treas- ures, America’s public lands are an indispensable component of Amer- ican life. As we work to protect their integrity for future generations, vast expanses of land remain available for the use and en j oyment of all who visit them. National Public Lands Day is an opportunity for all Americans, young and old, to celebrate the majesty of our open spaces and devote our collective efforts to conserving our Nation’s uni q ue landscapes. Today, from the largest National Parks and Forests to neighborhood playgrounds and urban parks, 130,000 volunteers are working on over 2,000 public land improvement projects across the Nation. Committed individuals, including participants from schools and universities, pri- vate businesses, non-profit organi z ations, and government agencies, are continuing the American tradition of stewardship through their serv- ice. Dedicated to improving all aspects of our natural environment, this year’s Public Lands Day focuses on water. Across the country, volun- teers are highlighting the need to protect our Nation’s water bodies by monitoring water quality in rivers and lakes, restoring wetlands, pre- venting stormwater runoff and erosion, cleaning up trash from shore- lines, and learning techniques to conserve water at home. Public lands help preserve our Nation’s quality of life, offering fresh water, abundant natural resources, and educational and recreational
