36 U.S.C. § 701: Findings

Federal lands, parks, recreation areas, and waterways provide recreational opportunities for millions of Americans each year; 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; 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; 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; there is great value in volunteer involvement in maintaining and preserving Federal lands for recreational use; the Federal land management agencies should be concerned with promoting a sense of pride and ownership among citizens toward these lands; the use of citizen volunteers in a national cleanup effort promotes these goals and encourages the thoughtful use of these Federal lands and facilities; 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 a national program for cleaning and maintaining Federal lands using volunteers will save millions of tax dollars.