Executive Order 13112

Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / Feb. 3
Finally, on a personal level, Hillary and I
value Dick and Jane’s friendship and look
forward to Dick’s continued leadership.

Statement on People Magazine’s
Decision To Print a Cover Story
Featuring Chelsea Clinton
February 3, 1999
We deeply regret and are profoundly saddened by the decision of People magazine
to print a cover story featuring our daughter,
Chelsea. For over 6 years, the media has understood and respected the unique situation
facing Chelsea as she grows up in the spot
light focused on her parents. Other than at
public situations where she is an integral part
of our family, Chelsea has not taken on a
public role. We have been very grateful for
the media’s restraint in allowing Chelsea the
privacy that any young person needs and deserves.
Unfortunately, despite personal appeals
with respect to her privacy and her security
from her parents, People magazine has chosen to run the story. We can only hope that
the media will continue its policy of restraint
with respect to our daughter.
NOTE: This statement was released by the Office
of the Press Secretary as a statement by the President and the First Lady.

Statement on Action Against
Invasive Species
February 3, 1999
Today I am signing an Executive order directing Federal agencies to expand and coordinate their efforts to combat a serious environmental threat: the introduction and
spread of plants and animals not native to
the United States.
Many Americans are all too familiar with
gypsy moths and other non-native insects
that devour our gardens and trees. Few realize, however, that countless other non-native
plants and animals are upsetting nature’s balance, squeezing out native species, causing
severe economic damage, and transforming
our landscape. Those affected range from
western ranchers plagued by a weed called

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leafy spurge to Chicago homeowners whose
stately maple trees have fallen prey to the
Asian long-horned beetle. Some experts estimate the cost to the American economy to
be as high as $123 billion a year.
The Executive order mobilizes the Federal
Government to defend against these aggressive predators and pests. Led by the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, Federal agencies will work together
to prevent the introduction of non-native
species and control those already here. My
fiscal year 2000 budget proposes an additional $29 million to support these efforts,
and I urge Congress to join us in protecting
our economy and our natural heritage against
the threat of non-native species.

Executive Order 13112—Invasive
Species
February 3, 1999
By the authority vested in me as President
by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States of America, including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4701
et seq.), Lacey Act, as amended (18 U.S.C.
42), Federal Plant Pest Act (7 U.S.C. 150aa
et seq.), Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974,
as amended (7 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and other pertinent statutes, to prevent the introduction of invasive
species and provide for their control and to
minimize the economic, ecological, and
human health impacts that invasive species
cause, it is ordered as follows:
Section 1. Definitions.
(a) ‘‘Alien species’’ means, with respect to
a particular ecosystem, any species, including
its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species,
that is not native to that ecosystem.
(b) ‘‘Control’’ means, as appropriate, eradicating, suppressing, reducing, or managing
invasive species populations, preventing
spread of invasive species from areas where
they are present, and taking steps such as
restoration of native species and habitats to

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Feb. 3 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999

reduce the effects of invasive species and to
prevent further invasions.
(c) ‘‘Ecosystem’’ means the complex of a
community of organisms and its environment.
(d) ‘‘Federal agency’’ means an executive
department or agency, but does not include
independent establishments as defined by 5
U.S.C. 104.
(e) ‘‘Introduction’’ means the intentional
or unintentional escape, release, dissemination, or placement of a species into an ecosystem as a result of human activity.
(f) ‘‘Invasive species’’ means an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to
cause economic or environmental harm or
harm to human health.
(g) ‘‘Native species’’ means, with respect
to a particular ecosystem, a species that,
other than as a result of an introduction, historically occurred or currently occurs in that
ecosystem.
(h) ‘‘Species’’ means a group of organisms
all of which have a high degree of physical
and genetic similarity, generally interbreed
only among themselves, and show persistent
differences from members of allied groups
of organisms.
(i) ‘‘Stakeholders’’ means, but is not limited to, State, tribal, and local government
agencies, academic institutions, the scientific
community, nongovernmental entities including environmental, agricultural, and conservation organizations, trade groups, commercial interests, and private landowners.
(j) ‘‘United States’’ means the 50 States,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
Guam, and all possessions, territories, and
the territorial sea of the United States.
Sec. 2. Federal Agency Duties. (a) Each
Federal agency whose actions may affect the
status of invasive species shall, to the extent
practicable and permitted by law,
(1) identify such actions;
(2) subject to the availability of appropriations, and within Administration budgetary
limits, use relevant programs and authorities
to: (i) prevent the introduction of invasive
species; (ii) detect and respond rapidly to and
control populations of such species in a costeffective and environmentally sound manner;
(iii) monitor invasive species populations accurately and reliably; (iv) provide for restora-

tion of native species and habitat conditions
in ecosystems that have been invaded; (v)
conduct research on invasive species and develop technologies to prevent introduction
and provide for environmentally sound control of invasive species; and (vi) promote public education on invasive species and the
means to address them; and
(3) not authorize, fund, or carry out actions
that it believes are likely to cause or promote
the introduction or spread of invasive species
in the United States or elsewhere unless,
pursuant to guidelines that it has prescribed,
the agency has determined and made public
its determination that the benefits of such
actions clearly outweigh the potential harm
caused by invasive species; and that all feasible and prudent measures to minimize risk
of harm will be taken in conjunction with
the actions.
(b) Federal agencies shall pursue the duties set forth in this section in consultation
with the Invasive Species Council, consistent
with the Invasive Species Management Plan
and in cooperation with stakeholders, as appropriate, and, as approved by the Department of State, when Federal agencies are
working with international organizations and
foreign nations.
Sec. 3. Invasive Species Council. (a) An
Invasive Species Council (Council) is hereby
established whose members shall include the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture,
the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of
Transportation, and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency. The
Council shall be Co-Chaired by the Secretary
of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture,
and the Secretary of Commerce. The Council may invite additional Federal agency representatives to be members, including representatives from subcabinet bureaus or offices with significant responsibilities concerning invasive species, and may prescribe special procedures for their participation. The
Secretary of the Interior shall, with concurrence of the Co-Chairs, appoint an Executive
Director of the Council and shall provide the
staff and administrative support for the
Council.

Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / Feb. 3
(b) The Secretary of the Interior shall establish an advisory committee under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C.
App., to provide information and advice for
consideration by the Council, and shall, after
consultation with other members of the
Council, appoint members of the advisory
committee
representing
stakeholders.
Among other things, the advisory committee
shall recommend plans and actions at local,
tribal, State, regional, and ecosystem-based
levels to achieve the goals and objectives of
the Management Plan in section 5 of this
order. The advisory committee shall act in
cooperation with stakeholders and existing
organizations addressing invasive species.
The Department of the Interior shall provide
the administrative and financial support for
the advisory committee.
Sec. 4. Duties of the Invasive Species
Council. The Invasive Species Council shall
provide national leadership regarding
invasive species, and shall:
(a) oversee the implementation of this
order and see that the Federal agency activities concerning invasive species are coordinated, complementary, cost-efficient, and effective, relying to the extent feasible and appropriate on existing organizations addressing invasive species, such as the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of
Noxious and Exotic Weeds, and the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources;
(b) encourage planning and action at local,
tribal, State, regional, and ecosystem-based
levels to achieve the goals and objectives of
the Management Plan in section 5 of this
order, in cooperation with stakeholders and
existing organizations addressing invasive
species;
(c) develop recommendations for international cooperation in addressing invasive
species;
(d) develop, in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality, guidance to
Federal agencies pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act on prevention and
control of invasive species, including the procurement, use, and maintenance of native
species as they affect invasive species;
(e) facilitate development of a coordinated
network among Federal agencies to docu-

187

ment, evaluate, and monitor impacts from
invasive species on the economy, the environment, and human health;
(f) facilitate establishment of a coordinated, up-to-date information-sharing system
that utilizes, to the greatest extent practicable, the Internet; this system shall facilitate access to and exchange of information
concerning invasive species, including, but
not limited to, information on distribution
and abundance of invasive species; life histories of such species and invasive characteristics; economic, environmental, and human
health impacts; management techniques, and
laws and programs for management, research, and public education; and
(g) prepare and issue a national Invasive
Species Management Plan as set forth in section 5 of this order.
Sec. 5. Invasive Species Management
Plan. (a) Within 18 months after issuance of
this order, the Council shall prepare and
issue the first edition of a National Invasive
Species Management Plan (Management
Plan), which shall detail and recommend performance-oriented goals and objectives and
specific measures of success for Federal
agency efforts concerning invasive species.
The Management Plan shall recommend
specific objectives and measures for carrying
out each of the Federal agency duties established in section 2(a) of this order and shall
set forth steps to be taken by the Council
to carry out the duties assigned to it under
section 4 of this order. The Management
Plan shall be developed through a public
process and in consultation with Federal
agencies and stakeholders.
(b) The first edition of the Management
Plan shall include a review of existing and
prospective approaches and authorities for
preventing the introduction and spread of
invasive species, including those for identifying pathways by which invasive species are
introduced and for minimizing the risk of introductions via those pathways, and shall
identify research needs and recommend
measures to minimize the risk that introductions will occur. Such recommended measures shall provide for a science-based process
to evaluate risks associated with introduction
and spread of invasive species and a coordinated and systematic risk-based process to

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Feb. 3 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999

identify, monitor, and interdict pathways that
may be involved in the introduction of
invasive species. If recommended measures
are not authorized by current law, the Council shall develop and recommend to the
President through its Co-Chairs legislative
proposals for necessary changes in authority.
(c) The Council shall update the Management Plan biennially and shall concurrently
evaluate and report on success in achieving
the goals and objectives set forth in the Management Plan. The Management Plan shall
identify the personnel, other resources, and
additional levels of coordination needed to
achieve the Management Plan’s identified
goals and objectives, and the Council shall
provide each edition of the Management
Plan and each report on it to the Office of
Management and Budget. Within 18 months
after measures have been recommended by
the Council in any edition of the Management Plan, each Federal agency whose action
is required to implement such measures shall
either take the action recommended or shall
provide the Council with an explanation of
why the action is not feasible. The Council
shall assess the effectiveness of this order no
less than once each 5 years after the order
is issued and shall report to the Office of
Management and Budget on whether the
order should be revised.
Sec. 6. Judicial Review and Administration. (a) This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the executive branch and is not intended to create any
right, benefit, or trust responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or
equity by a party against the United States,
its agencies, its officers, or any other person.
(b) Executive Order 11987 of May 24,
1977, is hereby revoked.
(c) The requirements of this order do not
affect the obligations of Federal agencies
under 16 U.S.C 4713 with respect to ballast
water programs.
(d) The requirements of section 2(a)(3) of
this order shall not apply to any action of
the Department of State or Department of
Defense if the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense finds that exemption from

such requirements is necessary for foreign
policy or national security reasons.
William J. Clinton
The White House,
February 3, 1999.
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register,
8:45 a.m., February 5, 1999]
NOTE: This Executive order was published in the
Federal Register on February 8.

Proclamation 7166—American Heart
Month, 1999
February 3, 1999
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of scientists and researchers and the strong support of the American public, today we stand
at the threshold of a new frontier in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. And
in coming years, Americans will reap even
greater benefits from our ongoing commitment to heart research.
Already, research has profoundly altered
scientists’ understanding of heart disease, revealing that the likelihood of heart disease
is increased by risk factors such as smoking,
high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,
diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and a
family history of early heart disease. Armed
with this knowledge, millions of Americans
have been able to take steps to reduce their
risk of illness. Thanks to scientific discoveries, those already afflicted with heart disease now have access to lifesaving therapies
and procedures such as clot-dissolving drugs,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation,
and balloon angioplasty.
Even greater advances lie ahead. Fields on
the verge of delivering major innovations include molecular genetics, gene therapy, biotechnology, immunology, and epidemiology.
The next breakthroughs will include better
noninvasive diagnostic tools that can help
physicians examine the heart and blood vessels without surgery; an implantable mechanical device that can restore heart function to