During his 1986 State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan asked all Americans to share in the responsibility of protecting our public lands by lending their skills, resources and volunteer labor. During 1989 to 1993, Take Pride in America successfully engaged individuals nationwide in efforts to preserve and protect our natural resources and open spaces, generating more than 12 million hours among individuals and groups in volunteer service.
In 2003, Secretary of Interior Gale Norton re-launched this program to encourage more Americans to demonstrate their citizen stewardship by volunteering to improve our parks, refuges, recreation areas and culture and historical sites. Through Take Pride in America, the USA Freedom Corps can offer individuals across the country more and better ways to engage in volunteer projects that will make an important difference for our public lands.