Heritage of Splendor (1963)

[Music] e [Music] we live in a truly beautiful land within our 50 states found counterparts of all the world's natural Grandeur this Scenic Beauty constitutes one of our nation's great resources the heritage of natural Splendor which we must preserve for those who come after us we Americans have made great strides in the protection of most of our natural resources under this concept for example we raise more wood than we use in the lumber and Pulp Industries because we grow trees like a [Music] crop to help conserve another vital natural resource we are also constantly developing more efficient methods to mine and process our mineral bearing ores conservation-minded oil companies use scientific spacing and advanced recovery methods in the drilling of Wells thus to ensure the wisest use of our petroleum reserves we practice the conservation of water resources for irrigation which has turned dry Barren deserts into vast productive [Music] Gardens when it comes to the conservation of most natural resources we are a responsible people we want to conserve our natural wealth we cannot leave to the generations who will follow us an empty and wasted land to the best of our ability we must pass on to them the land of natural riches that we enjoy in our [Music] time but there is one rich Heritage that we use in a different more personal way this is the America of land and water the Glorious Outdoors which we use for recreation this too we must regard as a great [Music] resource we all enjoy this Scenic Heritage in our own way we may rest our eyes and our hearts by a Rippling stream or a quiet Lake we can meet some of the natives too remembering that they were here before us and that they have a stake in the future of our Open [Music] Country we can follow the Sun to the beach or we can enjoy ourselves in a more active way we we can do even better we can capture wind and wave and bring them home with us on [Music] canvas those without the artist touch can still capture Nature's Beauty the simple way some of us prefer the quiet stroll along wooded Pathways While others prefer the challenge of an exclusive View [Music] this land of ours this inspiring resource of beauty and space is a Fountain Head from which we draw new energy and enthusiasm for the tasks that lie ahead in a large and very real sense a America's Scenic and Recreation areas are one of our most important natural resources but while we're a responsible people with regard to our tangible resources of forests and minerals how do we treat this important resource for recreation we go away from home on a vacation and take a holiday from responsibility we launch a Fallout of [Music] [Applause] [Music] litter the litter problem seems to get worse sadly and ironically because of scientific advances and new improvements in modern living trash only becomes trash after it has first served a useful purpose it becomes litter only after people thoughtlessly [Music] [Applause] discarded the art of modern packaging has helped to make our outings even more enjoyable almost anything we need is conveniently available but it is these Wonder packages cans bottles and paper containers thoughtlessly discarded which we carelessly convert to litter across the face of our [Music] country as highway miles increase and Roads grow better wider smoother leading to ever more interesting places more and more of us are taking advantage of our great resources for recreation yes with modern automobiles an expanding highway system and an increasing amount of leisure time we go our happy way spreading more litter in more places than ever before and although considerable time and money have been spent to provide roadside litter containers many a traveler still tries to hit them from moving automobiles the average motorist for this kind of Marksmanship is no Annie Oakley this is not only a legal violation but more importantly an offense to the laws of decency and not only do we Americans litter public property which might be considered our own but we invade private lands as well you'd be surprised and shocked to find a party of strangers littering your front lawn yet has it occurred to you that many people will do what amounts to the same thing on private property where they've gone to hike fish or hunt [Music] man has always had an affinity for a lake or a stream and for the continuing enjoyments they offer Reclamation projects in many parts of our beautiful land have created scores of new water playgrounds with a multitude of new marinas available thousands of enthusiasts have a reason for wanting a boat the interest in water fun is booming but so is the accumulation of [Music] litter water litter is not only unsightly floating debris can be dangerous even [Music] [Music] tragic and litter can be a very real Danger on land as well as [Music] water the growth of winter sports bring brings out Legions of happy [Music] enthusiasts many of these snow-loving Sportsmen help make litter a year- round [Music] problem when rubbish is discarded in the winter snow wild flowers are not all that bloom in the spring in many areas the growth of our civilization has changed the landscape but much of the beauty of the North American continent is just as the discoverers and pioneering settlers found it except for the Special Touch we have [Music] added there was a time when the ruthless cutting of Timber threatened to Denude our land when we ripped the Earth apart in our quest for gold and when we overdrilled our oil fields when our water ran wild and destructive to waste itself in the sea but as responsible Americans we did something about it through a continuing program of public education we are learning to protect the nation's wealth of Natural Resources all except our Priceless resources for [Music] recreation the need has become critical for us to protect and preserve the lovely land we hold in trust for future Generations the time has come to do something and by a strange Paradox this is really the easiest of all national problems to solve instead of going on the ground or into the water discards go into a litter bag any grocery sack will do or a cardboard box where there are trash receptacles let us use them if a public litter container is not available there's always the one at home for the car plastic or other permanent litter containers are inexpensive simple to install and best of all easy to use when it comes to litter you can take it with [Music] you what can we do to beat the litterbug habit two things individually we can make an effort to avoid littering and set a good example for impressionable people such as the younger generation next we should remember that group effort is simply individual effort multiplied many responsible organizations are sponsoring cleanup campaigns in an effort to solve the litter problem youth organizations are also becoming aware of the problem and are campaigning on many [Music] fronts [Music] [Music] the responsible organizations such as keep America beautiful Incorporated who are sponsoring educational campaigns and others who are providing disposal facilities have shown that the war against litter can be won among individual efforts it's well to remind hunters and fishermen that they can do themselves a favor by always asking permission to use private lands they repay the owner's kindness by cleaning up and taking their litter with [Music] them visitors who leave their litter behind can turn a welcome into a lockout in fact the lockouts have already started in more than one locality a public trout stream has become closed because of the expense of cleaning up litter left by carless fishermen in other areas stretches of Beach have been closed because of a few people who can't remember Their Manners as the situation grows worse and the cleanup costs continue to mount wouldn't it be a shock to find closed signs on public Recreation areas while this extreme situation hopefully will never happen it does point up one fact that is immediate as taxpayers we pay dearly and in many ways for our messy habits the United States Forest Service alone budgets 22 million annually for its house cleaning job in the national forests after the citizens depart the total National bill for litter cleanup is now estimated at $500 million a [Music] year authorities also tell us that 60,000 brush and forest fires a year can be traced to the trash and litter problem where dry litter is is easily ignited by discarded matches or burning tobacco and 30% of these fires are caused by people attempting to burn accumulated trash and litter in wooded [Music] areas our Beloved Country is faced with many complex problems but solution of the litter habit surely is not one of them we can solve that one ourselves you and I we need live only by a simple Creed let no man regret that I passed here let us remember that America the beautiful land is not ours alone This Is Our Land but it's ours only for the time being it belongs also to those who are very close to us and to people whom we will never know they too are entitled to continued enjoyment of our Great Outdoors this her Heritage of Splendor belongs to our children to the generations of the future on down the years for decades and centuries to come America belongs to them too it's not ours to waste and to despoil we hold this land in trust a trust we dare not carelessly betray our great Scenic splendors are one of our most vital resources deserving of devoted care and protection the challenge is so great and the solution so simple let not fail and as we conquer the problem of litter we and all the generations of the long future will be rewarded with endless enjoyment and renewed inspiration let's keep America the land of beautiful [Music] tomorrows [Music] I