§ 701. Findings

Congress finds that—

• (1) Federal lands, parks, recreation areas, and waterways provide recreational opportunities for millions of Americans each year;
• (2) Federal lands administered by Federal land management agencies contain valuable wildlife, scenery, natural and historic features, and other resources which may be damaged by litter and misuse;
• (3) it is in the best interest of the United States and its citizens to maintain and preserve the beauty, safety, and availability of these Federal lands;
• (4) these Federal land management agencies have been designated as the caretakers of these Federal lands and are responsible for maintaining and preserving those areas and facilities;
• (5) there is great value in volunteer involvement in maintaining and preserving Federal lands for recreational use;
• (6) the Federal land management agencies should be concerned with promoting a sense of pride and ownership among citizens toward these lands;
• (7) the use of citizen volunteers in a national cleanup effort promotes these goals and encourages the thoughtful use of these Federal lands and facilities;
• (8) the positive impact of annual cleanup events held at various recreation sites has already been proven by steadily declining levels of litter at these sites; and
• (9) a national program for cleaning and maintaining Federal lands using volunteers will save millions of tax dollars.