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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 11, 1998
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
CORAL REEF PROTECTION
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America and in furtherance of the purposes of
the Clean Water Act of 1977, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.), Coastal
Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1451, et seq.), Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.), National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.),
National Marine Sanctuaries Act, (16 U.S.C. 1431, et seq.), National Park
Service Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1, et seq.), National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd-ee), and other pertinent statutes, to
preserve and protect the biodiversity, health, heritage, and social and
economic value of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and the marine environment, it
is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Definitions. (a) "U.S. coral reef ecosystems" means those
species, habitats, and other natural resources associated with coral reefs
in all maritime areas and zones subject to the jurisdiction or control of
the United States (e.g., Federal, State, territorial, or commonwealth
waters), including reef systems in the south Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and Pacific Ocean. (b) "U.S. Coral Reef Initiative" is an existing
partnership between Federal agencies and State, territorial, commonwealth,
and local governments, nongovern-mental organizations, and commercial
interests to design and implement additional management, education,
monitoring, research, and restoration efforts to conserve coral reef
ecosystems for the use and enjoyment of future generations. The existing
U.S. Islands Coral Reef Initiative strategy covers approximately 95 percent
of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and is a key element of the overall U.S. Coral
Reef Initiative. (c) "International Coral Reef Initiative" is an existing
partnership, founded by the United States in 1994, of governments,
intergovernmental organizations, multilateral development banks,
nongovernmental organizations, scientists, and the private sector whose
purpose is to mobilize governments and other interested parties whose
coordinated, vigorous, and effective actions are required to address the
threats to the world's coral reefs.
Sec. 2. Policy. (a) All Federal agencies whose actions may affect
U.S. coral reef ecosystems shall: (a) identify their actions that may
affect U.S. coral reef ecosystems; (b) utilize their programs and
authorities to protect and enhance the conditions of such ecosystems; and
(c) to the extent permitted by law, ensure that any actions they authorize,
fund, or carry out will not degrade the conditions of such ecosystems.
(b) Exceptions to this section may be allowed under terms prescribed
by the heads of Federal agencies:
(1) during time of war or national emergency;
(2) when necessary for reasons of national security, as determined by
the President;
(3) during emergencies posing an unacceptable threat to human health
or safety or to the marine environment and admitting of no other feasible
solution; or
(4) in any case that constitutes a danger to human life or a real
threat to vessels, aircraft, platforms, or other man-made structures at
sea, such as cases of force majeure caused by stress of weather or other
act of God.
Sec. 3. Federal Agency Responsibilities. In furtherance of section 2
of this order, Federal agencies whose actions affect U.S. coral reef
ecosystems, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, provide
for implementation of measures needed to research, monitor, manage, and
restore affected ecosystems, including, but not limited to, measures
reducing impacts from pollution, sedimentation, and fishing. To the extent
not inconsistent with statutory responsibilities and procedures, these
measures shall be developed in cooperation with the U.S. Coral Reef Task
Force and fishery management councils and in consultation with affected
States, territorial, commonwealth, tribal, and local government agencies,
nongovern-mental organizations, the scientific community, and commercial
interests.
Sec. 4. U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Commerce, through the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall co-chair a U.S. Coral Reef
Task Force ("Task Force"), whose members shall include, but not be limited
to, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Attorney
General, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State,
the Secretary of Transportation, the Director of the National Science
Foundation, the Administrator of the Agency for International Development,
and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The Task Force shall oversee implementation of the policy and Federal
agency responsibilities set forth in this order, and shall guide and
support activities under the U.S. Coral Reef Initiative ("CRI"). All
Federal agencies whose actions may affect U.S. coral reef ecosystems shall
review their participation in the CRI and the strategies developed under
it, including strategies and plans of State, territorial, common-wealth,
and local governments, and, to the extent feasible, shall enhance Federal
participation and support of such strategies and plans. The Task Force
shall work in cooperation with State, territorial, commonwealth, and local
government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the scientific
community, and commercial interests.
Sec. 5. Duties of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. (a) Coral Reef
Mapping and Monitoring. The Task Force, in cooperation with State,
territory, commonwealth, and local government partners, shall coordinate a
comprehensive program to map and monitor U.S. coral reefs. Such programs
shall include, but not be limited to, territories and commonwealths,
special marine protected areas such as National Marine Sanctuaries,
National Estuarine Research Reserves, National Parks, National Wildlife
Refuges, and other entities having significant coral reef resources. To
the extent feasible, remote sensing capabilities shall be developed and
applied to this program and local communities should be engaged in the
design and conduct of programs.
(b) Research. The Task Force shall develop and implement, with the
scientific community, research aimed at identifying the major causes and
consequences of degradation of coral reef ecosystems. This research shall
include fundamental scientific research to provide a sound framework for
the restoration and conservation of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. To
the extent feasible, existing and planned environmental monitoring and
mapping programs should be linked with scientific research activities.
This Executive order shall not interfere with the normal conduct of
scientific studies on coral reef ecosystems.
(c) Conservation, Mitigation, and Restoration. The Task Force, in
cooperation with State, territorial, commonwealth, and local government
agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the scientific community and
commercial interests, shall develop, recommend, and seek or secure
implementation of measures necessary to reduce and mitigate coral reef
ecosystem degrada-tion and to restore damaged coral reefs. These measures
shall include solutions to problems such as land-based sources of water
pollution, sedimentation, detrimental alteration of
salinity or temperature, over-fishing, over-use, collection of coral reef
species, and direct destruction caused by activities such as recreational
and commercial vessel traffic and treasure salvage. In developing these
measures, the Task Force shall review existing legislation to determine
whether additional legislation is necessary to complement the policy
objectives of this order and shall recommend such legislation if
appropriate. The Task Force shall further evaluate existing navigational
aids, including charts, maps, day markers, and beacons to determine if the
designation of the location of specific coral reefs should be enhanced
through the use, revision, or improvement of such aids.
(d) International Cooperation. The Secretary of State and the
Administrator of the Agency for International Development, in cooperation
with other members of the Coral Reef Task Force and drawing upon their
expertise, shall assess the U.S. role in international trade and protection
of coral reef species and implement appropriate strategies and actions to
promote conservation and sustainable use of coral reef resources worldwide.
Such actions shall include expanded collaboration with other International
Coral Reef Initiative ("ICRI") partners, especially governments, to
implement the ICRI through its Framework for Action and the Global Coral
Reef Monitoring Network at regional, national, and local levels.
Sec. 6. This order does not create any right or benefit, substantive
or procedural, enforceable in law or equity by a party against the United
States, its agencies, its officers, or any person.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 11, 1998.
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