Washington, D.C. —  “It is especially fitting that National Park Week begins with Earth Day and includes Arbor Day,” Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata said while highlighting National Park Week, which is an initiative of the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Park Foundation.

The NPS is part of the Department of the Interior, and under the jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Committee in Congress for oversight and funding. The United States is home to 63 National Parks and 424 sites in the National Park system, including monuments, memorials, battlefields, historic sites, and scenic trails.

The National Park of American Samoa is a unique destination, as the only one south of the Equator, a multi-site Park on several islands, home to plants and wildlife species not found elsewhere in the U.S., and the rare inclusion of coastal waters to offshore preserved coral reefs.

“Our beautiful National Park of American Samoa is often the last one reached by tourists on a quest to visit all 63 National Parks,” said Congresswoman Amata. “All throughout American Samoa, there is natural beauty everywhere we look, and our National Park preserves and manages some of our special mountainside, coastal and bay areas. It is especially fitting that National Park Week begins with Earth Day and includes Arbor Day Thank you most of all to our local National Park employees and volunteers!”

The bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, passed in 2020, boosted support for National Parks and guarantees funds in the important Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). As the most substantial conservation legislation in a generation, the law was described as “a conservationist’s dream” by the National Parks Conservation Association. Current legislative efforts continue to build on that structure and funding increase.

ARBOR DAY 2023

Arbor Day, a popular and still growing day of emphasis that promotes the planting of trees worldwide, along with education on the immense ecological and health benefits of trees.

“Our beautiful tropical rainforest is green and lush,” said Congresswoman Amata. “We have an abundance of vegetation and trees, including fruit and coconuts. We treasure these natural blessings, and support the goals of Arbor Day everywhere, so that the trees and forests that do so much for healthy air and wildlife are preserved with strategic forethought. In American Samoa, we monitor our rainforest after storms, slides, heavy rains and wave erosion, and in our villages, can often add a sapling or even a helpful garden plant where we live.”

ARBOR DAY PUTS DOWN ROOTS

Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872. Recognizing the absence of trees on the plains, and the need for shelter and shade, it started with a “plant a tree” message. That simple, productive goal spread powerfully through the states, soon backed by official proclamations by governors and legislatures, plus popular support, volunteers, and classroom projects, and the momentum has continued since.

“I serve on the Natural Resources Committee, led by the only licensed forester by profession in Congress, my friend Chairman Bruce Westerman of Arkansas,” Amata concluded. “Our Committee oversees and supports the National Forest Service, and works on legislation year-round to improve forest protection efforts, limit wildfires, and encourage the planting of millions more trees yearly.”