Obama to visit two national parks

President Obama will visit two national parks next week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service.

In a June 17–19 trip, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will visit the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park in California.

{mosads}Obama is likely to use the trip to boast about his record on stewardship and push Congress to fund and support parks and other conservation priorities.

“President Obama has taken unprecedented action to invest in America’s natural resources, to protect our public lands and to help ensure that all Americans — no matter their background — have the opportunity to experience our nation’s unparalleled national parks, monuments, forests and other public lands,” the White House said in a statement Thursday.

A video the White House released Thursday to announce the visits focuses heavily on his trip last year to Alaska, which included hiking and visiting a glacier.

As Obama’s time in office has wound down, he’s tried to cement a legacy as a strong proponent of parks and land protections.

He has liberally used his power under the Antiquities Act to unilaterally create national monuments, which indefinitely protect land and water from various kinds of development and harm. He’s protected more land and water than any other president through national monuments.

Obama has repeatedly nudged Congress to take more action on conservation, including pushing for more funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He has also pushed Congress to better protect public land and wild areas from the effects of climate change.

The Obamas will also use the trip to promote the first lady’s Let’s Move campaign, launched in 2010 to encourage kids and families to exercise more.