Join20+GroupsAsking US CoralReefTaskForceForOversightProtection

[Alexander Stone]

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Join the 20 Groups Listed Below
Requesting Oversight Protection
for Coral Reefs as Mandated
by President Clinton
PLEASE REPLY BY FEBRUARY 15TH!
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Dear Coral Reef Supporter:

Time is getting short for your organization to join Reef Check, ReefKeeper International, 
the Global Coral Reef Alliance, and many more groups in a joint letter to the US Coral 
Reef Task Force requesting that it take action at its March meeting to exercise its 
oversight mandate to keep federal agencies from damaging coral reefs.  Your input NOW has 
the power to do the following:

        €  stop the U.S. Military bombing of coral reefs;

        €  prevent Army Corps of Engineers dredging from killing coral reefs;

        € stop the National Marine Fisheries Service from allowing the use of fishing 
gears that destroy acres of coral reefs;
        
        € eliminate Department of Transportation coastal road construction that smothers
reefs;

        €  stop the EPA from allowing high nutrient effluent to kill coral reefs;

        €  and more.

You can help make this happen by adding your group to the dozens of other organizations
asking the President's US Coral Reef Task Force to ensure that any actions that US federal
agencies authorize, fund, or carry out will not degrade the conditions of coral reef
ecosystems.

We need you to sign your group onto the enclosed endorsement letter to take advantage of
this opportunity to ensure that all Federal agencies protect coral reefs.

Read on to review the endorsement letter, and to see and join the list of current 
endorsing groups... or scroll down to the next *****starred**** section to study the 
letter's background rationale.

**** WE NEED YOUR GROUP TO ENDORSE THE LETTER THAT FOLLOWS BELOW****

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ENDORSEMENT LETTER
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ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE ENFORCED FEDERAL CORAL REEF PROTECTION
**Admiralty Divers**American Littoral Society**Aquatica Underwater Adventurers**Asian 
Aquatic Adventurers**Asociacion Oceanica de Panama**Coastal Research & Education**Comite 
ProFondo Desecheo**Dive Paradise Scuba Club**Dive Training Magazine**Global Coral Reef 
Alliance**Isomer Laboratory Students Association**Kissimmee Pro Divers**Mobjack Baykeeper 
Program**Pro Scuba Association**Reef Check**ReefKeeper International**Save Our Seas**Star 
Thrower Foundation**University of Rhode Island Scuba Club**Virgin Islands Marine Advisory 
Service**

Hon. Bruce Babbitt, USCRTF Co-Chair
Secretary of the Interior
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC  20240

Hon. Robert Mallet. USCRTF Co-Chair
Deputy Secretary of Commerce
Dept. of Commerce - Rm 5128
14th and Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC  20230

re: U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Oversight
                                        
Dear Secretary Babbitt
and Deputy Secretary Mallet:
                                                        
We, the (number) undersigned conservation, science and diving organizations representing
over (number) individuals, respectfully request that the final action plan developed by
the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) fulfill the USCRTF's mandate to protect U.S. coral
reefs from damaging federal agency actions by:

a) clearly specifying the USCRTF's role as an enforcer of Executive Order 13089, and

b) including a staffed oversight process for the USCRTF to evaluate pending agency actions
and prohibit those actions which would degrade coral reef ecosystems.

ECECUTIVE ORDER 13089
Executive Order 13089, signed by President Clinton on June 11, 1998, established the U.S.
Coral Reef Task Force and its obligations to
"oversee implementation of the policy and Federal agency responsibilities set forth in
this order" (Section 4); [and]
"develop, recommend, and seek or secure implementation of measures necessary to reduce and
mitigate coral reef ecosystem degradation and to restore damaged coral reefs" (Section 5).

Section 2 of the Executive Order states:
"(a) All Federal agencies whose actions may affects U.S. coral reef ecosystems shall ...
(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."

These two sections clearly outline the goals of the Executive Order as well as the
responsibility of the Task Force to oversee the implementation of the Executive Order,
including Section 2's requirement for non-degradation of coral reef ecosystems by any
Federal agency actions.

OVERSIGHT PROCESS
In order to fulfill the obligations of the Executive Order, an oversight process must be
developed to ensure that Sections 2, 4, and 5 are met.  This process must include
personnel with direct responsibility for this oversight.

All Federal agencies should be required to designate personnel who are responsible for
reviewing all agency actions for compliance with the Executive Order.  In addition, the
USCRTF, as the enforcer of the Executive Order, should have a staffed process for
enforcing the Executive Order.  This staffed process would include reviews of proposed
Federal agency actions as well as a mechanism whereby the USCRTF could halt any proposed
Federal agency actions that would violate the Executive Order.

Only with an effective oversight process can we be assured that the intent and obligations
set forth in Executive Order 13089 are met.

We look forward to your support for and early response to our request.

Respectfully submitted,

(endorsing organizations will be listed alphabetically)

**** WE NEED YOUR GROUP TO ENDORSE THE LETTER POSTED ABOVE****

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BACKGROUND RATIONALE
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EXECUTIVE ORDER 13089 FOR THE
PROTECTION OF CORAL REEFS
Executive Order 13089 for Coral Reef Protection was signed by President Clinton on June
11, 1998.  Section 2 of the Executive Order states:
"(a) All Federal agencies whose actions may affect U.S. coral reef ecosystems shall ...
(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."

President Clinton clearly mandated that the actions of all Federal agencies, including
those actions for which the agencies issue permits, must do no harm to coral reef
ecosystems.  This mandate applies to a wide variety of activities such as those listed
above.  This Executive Order confers landmark federal protection to coral reefs.  But this
protection can only be realized with adequate oversight by the US Coral Reef Task Force.

THE CORAL REEF TASK FORCE
The Executive Order also established the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) and its
obligations to:
"oversee implementation of the policy and Federal agency responsibilities set forth in
this order" (Section 4);        "develop, recommend, and seek or secure implementation of
measures necessary to reduce and mitigate coral reef ecosystem degradation and to restore
damaged coral reefs" (Section 5).

It is clearly the responsibility and obligation of the USCRTF to ensure that the Executive
Order is being met.  As such, the USCRTF must act as an enforcer of the Executive Order.

WHY ACT NOW?
The USCRTF has prepared a draft action plan to implement the Executive Order. However, the
draft action plan places the USCRTF in the role of an observer and advisor, rather than an
enforcer.  The USCRTF will meet again in early March to adopt a final action plan.  NOW is
the time to urge the USCRTF to take its responsibilities seriously and establish an
oversight process whereby all actions of all Federal agencies that may impact coral reefs
are reviewed and any actions that degrade coral reefs are clearly prohibited because they
violate the Executive Order.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you represent a group or a dive center, please take a few short minutes to read the
enclosed Endorsement Letter.  Then phone, e-mail or fax us with your okay to add your
group or dive center's name to the list of organizations signing the letter which requests
enforcement of Executive Order 13089.  We will combine it with dozens more for
presentation at the USCRTF meeting in March.

Thank you in advance for your help,

ALEXANDER STONE
President
ReefKeeper International

**** WE NEED YOUR GROUP TO ENDORSE THE LETTER POSTED ABOVE****

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Join the 20 Groups Listed Above
Seeking Protection from Federal Agency
Damage for Coral Reefs as Mandated
by President Clinton
PLEASE REPLY BY FEBRUARY 15TH!
*************************************

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The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
sponsors coral-list and the Coral Health and Monitoring Program
(CHAMP, http://www.coral.noaa.gov).  Please visit the Web site
for instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list.
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