I want to thank Mike Boots for his service to the American people over the past six years, including his tenure as one of my top environmental advisors. It is no coincidence that Mike’s leadership of the Council on Environmental Quality has coincided with historic national progress on climate change and conservation. His deep policy expertise and his work with mayors, governors and other local leaders have guided my actions to strengthen our nation’s infrastructure and address the threats communities face from climate change. His leadership has helped me fulfill the pledge I made a year ago to protect the pristine and special places Americans care about, including by permanently preserving more than 260 million acres of environmentally and culturally significant lands and waters as national monuments. The country is better off because of Mike’s contribution, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.