On Wednesday, President Donald Trump proclaimed the month of June to be both Great Outdoors Month and National Ocean Month, an annual practice that often encourages Americans to relish in the country’s natural beauty. Former President George W. Bush first proclaimed both in 2004 and 2007, respectively, and the tradition has been carried on.
In 2008, Bush said Americans had a “solemn responsibility to care for our seas and show concern for the plant and animal life that inhabit them.” Ahead of his own such proclamations last year, former President Barack Obama said the U.S. would “redouble our efforts to preserve the health and resilience of our vast oceans.”
However, Trump appears to have taken a different tack than his predecessors:
“National Ocean Month celebrates the mighty oceans and their extraordinary resources. This month, we recognize the importance of harnessing the seas for our national security and prosperity …
Today, our offshore areas remain underutilized and often unexplored. We have yet to fully leverage new technologies and unleash the forces of economic innovation to more fully develop and explore our ocean economy.”
The president includes one…
