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Today, President Clinton signed legislation extending protection for America’s special ocean habitats. The President signed the National Marine Sanctuaries Amendments Act of 2000 (S. 1482), thereby extending and improving the management of the nation’s 13 marine sanctuaries. Marine sanctuaries protect Florida’s fragile coral reefs, lush kelp forests off Monterey Bay and the Channel Islands, nursing grounds for Hawaii’s humpback whales, and significant maritime history including the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor.
Preserving America’s Marine Treasures Congress established the National Marine Sanctuary Program in 1972, one hundred years after the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, our nation’s first National Park. Marine sanctuaries extend this nation’s proud conservation ethic to the sea, and today 13 marine sanctuaries provide increased protections for over 18,000 square miles of ocean habitat. National marine sanctuaries enjoy broad bipartisan support, and the President acknowledged the Congressional leadership of this legislation for their efforts. Over the past seven years, the Administration has worked with Congress to increase funding for the sanctuary program fivefold to $26 million, with an additional increase requested for this fiscal year. We have also added new sanctuaries off Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, Hawaii, and, most recently, Michigan.
In administering the marine sanctuaries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, marine sanctuaries work with local citizens to find the best possible solutions to the tough challenges communities face in protecting the marine environment. A recent report by the National Research Council provides strong scientific support for the use of marine protected areas, such as marine sanctuaries, to sustain fisheries, preserve valuable habitats, provide outdoor leisure opportunities, and maintain healthy marine ecosystems. On May 26, President Clinton issued an executive order calling for more effective use of marine protected areas.
Extending Ocean Conservation, Encouraging the Next Generation of Scientists In signing the National Marine Sanctuaries Amendment Act, the President reaffirmed this nation’s commitment to ocean conservation. In addition to strengthening and extending the sanctuary program, the Act provides the following:
Safeguarding Our Oceans and Coasts. The Clinton-Gore Administration continues to work for healthier beaches and cleaner coastal waters, greater protection for endangered and threatened marine species, sound fisheries management, and support for marine protected areas. To better address long-term challenges, the President and Vice President launched a national dialogue leading to a comprehensive strategy for strengthening federal ocean policy for the 21st century.
What's New Archives: 1994-1996
Presidential Webcast: Meeting the Challenge of Global Warming
Urging Congress to Keep its Commitment and Complete this Year's Education Budget
Preserving America’s Coral Reefs
Human Rights Day: The Eleanor Roosevelt Award and The Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Clinton Launches New Effort to Increase Immunization Rates Among Children
President Clinton and Vice President Gore: Restoring an American Natural Treasure
Progress in Efforts to Combat International Crime
President Clinton’s New Markets Initiative: Revitalizing America’s Underserved Communities
President Clinton, Vice President Gore, and Congressional Democrats Win a Landmark Budget
Announcing Welfare Reform Achievements and Budget Wins for America’s Families
President Clinton Issues Strong New Consumer Protections to Ensure the Privacy of Medical Records
Enacting a Budget that Invests in Education, Health Care, and America’
The United States on Track to Pay Off the Debt by End of the Decade
President Clinton: Strengthening the Federal Government-University Research Partnership
Keeping the Heat and Lights On During Unusually Cold Weather
Strengthening and Supporting the Military
President Clinton: Strong Action to Preserve America’s Forests
Protecting America’s Natural Treasures
President Clinton: Raising the Minimum Wage -- An Overdue Pay Raise for America’s Working Families
President Clinton Awards the Presidential Citizens Medals
President Clinton Unveils the Completion of the FDR Memorial and Honors FDR’s Legacy
Highlights of the 2001 Economic Report of the President
Prevention Resources For America
President Clinton Honors Martin Luther King Through Words and Deeds
New Efforts to Fight Sweatshops and Child Labor Around the World & Put A More Human Face on the
Leadership for the New Millennium -- A Record of Digital Progress and Prosperity
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