Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 103 Part 1.djvu/620

 103 STAT. 592 PUBLIC LAW 101-85—AUG. 14, 1989 Public Law 101-85 101st Congress Joint Resolution Aug. 14, 1989 To commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964 which [S.J. Res. 67] established the National Wilderness Preservation System. Whereas 1989 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establish- ment of the National Wilderness Preservation System; Whereas wilderness areas were created to secure for the American people the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness; Whereas Congressionally designated wilderness is an area of un- developed Federal land where earth and nature are untrammeled by man, and where man is a visitor who does not remain; Whereas wilderness areas allow us to preserve ecological, geological, scientific, educational, scenic, and historical values; Whereas wilderness areas provide outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation; Whereas in 1924 the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico was the first administratively designated wilderness in the nation, and became statutory wilderness in 1964; Whereas there are four hundred and seventy-four units totaling nearly ninety-one million acres in forty-four States that comprise the National Wilderness Preservation System today; Whereas a wide range of individuals, organizations, and agencies with differing perspectives have worked with Congress to promote preservation of wilderness areas; Whereas the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management are en- trusted to protect and manage our wilderness heritage; Whereas the Wilderness Act passed in both houses of Congress with a strong sense of bipartisan support; and Whereas the Wilderness Act was signed into law on September 3, 1964 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the week of Septem- ber 3 through September 9, 1989, is designated as "National Wilder- ness Week". The President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate activities and programs. Approved August 14, 1989. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S.J. Res. 67: CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 135 (1989): June 9, considered and passed Senate. Aug. 4, considered and passed House.

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