As he explored wild country, he heard a call to preserve our country's heritage that echoed throughout our forests and river valleys.

WHITEHOUSE: Presidential Proclamation -- National Park Week, 2012

Clinton's call to significantly toughen the provisions on youth smoking and to preserve the Food and Drug Administration's jurisdiction over tobacco and nicotine was met with enthusiasm from many anti-smoking activists, but coolly in some offices in Congress.

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But even if the effect on philanthropy and the causes it supports is a modest one, the change should serve as a wake-up call for those who want to preserve a healthy and well-funded range of non-profits, from soup kitchens to colleges.

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The answer should matter for a country that chose to call itself the United States of America and sacrificed much to preserve the idea.

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Conservationists call the refuge "America's Serengetti, " a reference to giant wildlife preserve in Africa.

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It is the call we hear today, and as we come together to celebrate our national heritage, let us reaffirm our promise to preserve America's treasures for the generations yet to come.

WHITEHOUSE: Presidential Proclamation -- National Park Week, 2012