Proclamation 4242—National Hunting and Fishing Day

Hunting and fishing appeal to many Americans. They provide an opportunity for our people to be out

doors, to travel, and to enjoy the blessings of nature. The result is that both the cause of conservation and the spirit of man are benefitted. Through the purchase of licenses and permits, the payment of excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, and voluntary contributions, the hunter or fisherman plays a vital role in the betterment of the Nation's wildlife resources and in support of hunting and boating safety programs.

The American people have been coming to realize in recent years that the environment of man is one with the environment of fish and wildlife—that which harms one harms the other. This is a truth which has always been understood by the Nation's sportsmen. They have long been active in the effort to protect and renew our environment and we will continue to look to them for leadership in this vital area.

In recognition of the many worthwhile contributions of the American hunter and angler, the Congress, by House Joint Resolution 210, has requested the President to declare the fourth Saturday of September, 1973 as National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Now, Therefore, I, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Saturday, September 22, 1973, as National Hunting and Fishing Day.

I urge all our citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-eighth.

RICHARD NIXON