[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 115 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 32701-32703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16161]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 115 / Tuesday, June 16, 1998 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 32701]]
Executive Order 13089 of June 11, 1998
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, nongovernmental 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.
[[Page 32702]]
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,
nongovernmental 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,
commonwealth, 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 degradation
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
[[Page 32703]]
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.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 11, 1998.
[FR Doc. 98-16161
Filed 6-15-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P