[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 13 (Monday, April 1, 1996)]
[Pages 569-571]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 12996--Management and General Public Use of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System

March 25, 1996

    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 Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a), the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661), the National Wildlife 
Refuge System Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd), the Refuge 
Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 460k), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531), the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3901), the 
North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401), the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321), and other pertinent statutes, 
and in order to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitat, it is 
ordered as follows:
    Section 1. The Mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The 
mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System (``Refuge System'') is to 
preserve a national network of lands and waters for the conservation and 
management of fish, wildlife, and plant resources of the United States 
for the benefit of present and future generations.
    Sec. 2. Guiding Principles. To help ensure a bright future for its 
treasured national her- 

[[Page 570]]

itage, I hereby affirm the following four guiding principles for the 
management and general public use of the Refuge System:
(a)         Public Use. The Refuge System provides important 
            opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational 
            activities involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation 
            and photography, and environmental education and 
            interpretation.
(b)         Habitat. Fish and wildlife will not prosper without high-
            quality habitat, and without fish and wildlife, traditional 
            uses of refuges cannot be sustained. The Refuge System will 
            continue to conserve and enhance the quality and diversity 
            of fish and wildlife habitat within refuges.
(c)         Partnerships. America's sportsmen and women were the first 
            partners who insisted on protecting valuable wildlife 
            habitat within wildlife refuges. Conservation partnerships 
            with other Federal agencies, State agencies, Tribes, 
            organizations, industry, and the general public can make 
            significant contributions to the growth and management of 
            the Refuge System.
(d)         Public Involvement. The public should be given a full and 
            open opportunity to participate in decisions regarding 
            acquisition and management of our National Wildlife Refuges.
    Sec. 3. Directives to the Secretary of the Interior. To the extent 
consistent with existing laws and interagency agreements, the Secretary 
of the Interior, in carrying out his trustee and stewardship 
responsibilities for the Refuge System, is directed to:
(a)         recognize compatible wildlife-dependent recreational 
            activities involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation 
            and photography, and environmental education and 
            interpretation as priority general public uses of the Refuge 
            System through which the American public can develop an 
            appreciation for fish and wildlife;
(b)         provide expanded opportunities for these priority public 
            uses within the Refuge System when they are compatible and 
            consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife 
            management, and are otherwise in the public interest;
(c)         ensure that such priority public uses receive enhanced 
            attention in planning and management within the Refuge 
            System;
(d)         provide increased opportunities for families to experience 
            wildlife-dependent recreation, particularly opportunities 
            for parents and their children to safely engage in 
            traditional outdoor activities, such as fishing and hunting;
(e)         ensure that the biological integrity and environmental 
            health of the Refuge System is maintained for the benefit of 
            present and future generations of Americans;
(f)         continue, consistent with existing laws and interagency 
            agreements, authorized or permitted uses of units of the 
            Refuge System by other Federal agencies, including those 
            necessary to facilitate military preparedness;
(g)         plan and direct the continued growth of the Refuge System in 
            a manner that is best designed to accomplish the mission of 
            the Refuge System, to contribute to the conservation of the 
            ecosystems of the United States, and to increase support for 
            the Refuge System and participation from conservation 
            partners and the public;
(h)         ensure timely and effective cooperation and collaboration 
            with Federal agencies and State fish and wildlife agencies 
            during the course of acquiring and managing National 
            Wildlife Refuges;
(i)         ensure appropriate public involvement opportunities will be 
            provided in conjunction with refuge planning and management 
            activities; and
(j)         identify, prior to acquisition, existing compatible 
            wildlife-dependent uses of new refuge lands that shall be 
            permitted to continue on an interim basis pending completion 
            of comprehensive planning.
    Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order does not create any right or 
benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity

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by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any 
person.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
March 25, 1996.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., March 27, 
1996]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
March 28.