Proclamation 4395

September 18, 1975

The great natural resources which belong to America meant survival to our forefathers. The abundance of fish and wildlife enabled the early settlers to withstand the first winters. Later this abundance helped pioneers to make their way across the continent.

Today, our outdoor sportsmen help to assure the survival of our natural resources. Hunters and fishermen contribute to the preservation and protection of America's fish and wildlife through their voluntary conservation efforts and by providing millions of dollars for restoration programs, acquisition and maintenance of habitat and supportive research. These funds come through the purchase of licenses and excise taxes on sporting equipment.

In recognition of the significant contributions by American hunters and fishermen, to dramatize the continued need for gun and boat safety and to promote the conservation of our resources, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 34, has requested the President to declare the fourth Saturday of September 1975 as National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Now, Therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Saturday, September 27, 1975, as National Hunting and Fishing Day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundredth.



GERALD R. FORD