Bush Calls for Fitness Activities on Public Lands

By Cat Lazaroff

WASHINGTON, DC, June 20, 2002 (ENS) - Federal agencies will waive use fees at national parks, forests and other areas this weekend as part of President George W. Bush's Healthier US Initiative, unveiled today. Saying physical activity is the key to better health, Bush promoted the use of public lands and water for recreation, and pledged support for maintaining the nation's rivers and trails.

"Better health is an individual responsibility, and it is an important national goal," Bush said, addressing reporters, staff members and physical fitness experts at the White House Fitness Expo today. "When it comes to your health, even little steps can make a big difference."

President George W. Bush at the White House Fitness Expo on the South Lawn with Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith. (White House photo by Eric Draper)

Bush signed two executive orders today aimed at encouraging physical fitness in all Americans. He appointed a new President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports made up of professional athletes, trainers, U.S. Olympians, executives from the public and private sector, and physicians.

Football legend Lynn Swann will chair the Council, and Dot Richardson, Olympic gold medalist in softball and an orthopedic surgeon, will serve as vice chair.

"These fine Americans will serve as role models, and will join me in working with Americans to encourage exercise and healthy choices in life," Bush said.

Bush also ordered several federal agencies to review their policies and regulations relating to physical fitness and propose new actions to promote fitness.

The guiding principles of the new initiative will be four "guideposts" that the administration has dubbed HealthierUS, including daily physical activity, a nutritious diet, preventive health screenings, and healthy lifestyle choices, such as quitting smoking.

Cyclists in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, one of many federal areas that will be fee free this weekend. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

"Regular hiking through a park can add years to a person's life," Bush said. "To honor that commitment, I want to thank [Interior Secretary Gale] Norton for waiving all entrance fees this weekend to national parks and federal lands. If you're interested in doing something about your health, go to one of our parks - and take a hike."

Lands managed by the Park Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will all be free to public use this weekend.

"Americans seek out the beauty and variety of our Nation's public lands to enhance their active lifestyles. We welcome all visitors to enjoy our parks and realize the health and fitness benefits that result from engaging in outdoor recreation activities," said Major General Robert Griffin, director of civil works at the Corps, which operates more than 2,500 recreation areas.

President Bush runs on the South Lawn track in July 2001. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will challenge staff members to a fitness contest at the White House this Saturday. (White House photo by Eric Draper)

"Physical fitness plays a role in the health and well-being of all Americans, and what better way to renew both the mind and body than by visiting America's special places and natural treasures," noted BLM Director Kathleen Clarke. Last year, more than 62 million people visited BLM lands.

"The entrance fee free weekend will be a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to experience their public lands, exercise their minds and bodies, while uplifting their spirits," Clarke added.

The Park Service will offer a number of special events this weekend, including an interpretive bike ride along the towpath of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland on Saturday, and an eight mile hike at Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California on Sunday.

The Park Service will lead a hike this Sunday in the Marin Headlands, viewed here from the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. The headlands are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

At the president's request, the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services and the Corps have all agreed to promote the use of public lands to enhance physical health. Volunteer events such as National Public Lands Day, National Fishing and Boating Week, National Trails Day, and Great Outdoors Week will be promoted as benefiting people through activity in natural and cultural landscapes.

The Bush initiative will also promote the Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, which will work with community groups and local and state governments to conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways as what the president called "pathways to health."

The RTCA program has worked with communities on urban promenades, trails along abandoned railroad rights of way, wildlife corridors, downtown riverfronts and regional water trails.

The national Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), which helps convert former rail corridors into walking, jogging and cycling trails, applauded the White House initiative.

"In communities across the country, trails provide safe places for families to walk, jog or bicycle," said RTC president Keith Laughlin. "When realized, RTC's goal of providing Americans with access to safe networks of sidewalks, bikeways and trails could save millions of lives and billions of dollars in avoided health care costs."

A woman walks with her dog along a public trail. (Photo courtesy The White House)

The report finds that 300,000 people die each year from diseases and health conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits - almost as many as the 400,000 deaths associated with cigarette smoking. Across the nation, almost 50 million adults between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, and more than 108 million adults - 61 percent - are either obese or overweight.

"We want Americans to understand the real costs to their lives and their finances from inactivity and poor eating habits, but more importantly we want them to understand they can do something about it," said HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. "Simply walking 30 minutes a day can have a measurable impact on a person's health and in preventing diseases such as diabetes. Playing with your children for an hour each day in the backyard improves the entire family's health."

The report, "Physical Activity Fundamental to Preventing Disease," is available online at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/physicalactivity/

More information about the White House HealthierUS Initiative is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/fitness/