Proclamation 6216—Yosemite National Park Centennial Year, 1990-1991

One hundred years ago, on October 1, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed into law an act establishing Yosemite National Park. Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, Yosemite is the Nation's third oldest national park and one of its greatest natural treasures. During this centennial year all Americans can be grateful for the vision and foresight of those who advocated the preservation of this magnificent portion of our country. They not only saved a priceless legacy for succeeding generations, but also provided an enduring model of environmental stewardship for all Americans to emulate.

Almost 3 decades before the legislation signed by President Harrison established Yosemite as the Nation's third national park, the beautiful and majestic lands it now encompasses helped to animate the environmental conservation movement. On June 30, 1864, President Lincoln signed into law an act granting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the State of California, to ". . . be held for public use, resort, and recreation . . . inalienable for all time." Known as the Yosemite Grant, this act was the first law to set aside lands for the preservation of their unique characteristics and extraordinary scenic value. In fact, the historic Yosemite Grant laid the foundation for the development of national parks, the first of which became a reality in 1872 with the establishment of Yellowstone. Uniquely American, the concept of national parks -- and the preservation ethic they affirm and inspire -- has spread worldwide.

Today, spanning more than 750,000 acres or approximately 1,190 square miles, Yosemite National Park is acclaimed for its spectacular scenery, exotic plants, and wide array of wildlife. The glacially carved Yosemite Valley contains two of the world's highest waterfalls. El Capitan is one of the largest exposed monoliths of granite in the world, and it is one of the many magnificent granite formations in the park. Half Dome itself is a geographic feature recognized around the world. The three groves of giant sequoias found in the park astound visitors with their breathtaking beauty and sheer size -- the Grizzly Giant is the fifth largest tree in the world. Yosemite also contains more than 1,300 species of flowering plants, many of them rare. The wildlife inhabiting the park includes several rare and/or endangered species, among them the bald eagle and the peregrine falcon.

Yosemite's unparalleled beauty, abundant wildlife, and other natural resources enrich us in many ways. Each year thousands of people from around the Nation and the world visit the park for recreation and renewal. Families on leisurely visits explore Yosemite as eagerly as students and professionals, all of them embarked, to one degree or another, on great adventures in learning. Indeed, Yosemite is a wonderful place to study not only the earth's development and fragile ecosystems but also the history of the peoples who have inhabited this great land through the ages. Native peoples occupied the region that is now Yosemite as many as 4,000 or more years ago, and the known prehistoric trade routes through the region are among the most important in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The park also contains a wealth of artifacts and historic sites that tell the story of more recent inhabitants, such as the explorers and traders who flocked to the region during the California gold rush era.

Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Yosemite is one of the most beautiful and fascinating places on the North American continent and, indeed, the entire planet. This year we proudly celebrate its centennial and express our appreciation for all those who have maintained the park during the past 100 years.

By House Joint Resolution 398, the Congress has recognized and commemorated the 100th anniversary of Yosemite National Park and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this occasion.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the year beginning October 1, 1990, as Yosemite National Park Centennial Year. I encourage the people of the United States and their elected representatives at the Federal, State, and local level to observe this year with appropriate programs and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth.

GEORGE BUSH