Clinton Signs Ocean Protection Law
President Clinton kept his pledge from a conference in California two years ago by signing bipartisan legislation to establish a national advisory board on the balance between ocean ecology and economics.
Standing in front of a lighthouse at West Chop on the northern tip of Martha's Vineyard, President Clinton managed to sign the bill despite a gusting wind that sent Secret Service agents and aides scrambling to keep the paper on the table.
Mr. Clinton joked about the wind, "You know, usually when I speak somewhere all the wind comes from the politicians," he said to laughter. "It's good to see Mother Nature having her fair share and it's fitting."
"Above all, this bill is about setting a vision to ensure that our beaches are clean, our oceans are protected, our coastal economies remain strong," President Clinton said as he closed a short, working vacation.
"We know that when we protect our oceans we're protecting our future," President Clinton said.
The Clinton family has spent three days on the resort island, raising money for Mrs. Clinton's Senate race in New York and partying with wealthy patrons. Mr. Clinton also managed a round of golf and an afternoon at a secluded beach.
President Clinton also prodded Congress to approve his budget requests for coastal and ocean protection.
The new commission is charged with a broad study of federal ocean policy, with reports to Congress and the White House due 18 months after the group begins work.
The 16-member commission will not begin its work until the day Clinton leaves office in January. He will appoint the membership through a complicated formula that gives him four unrestricted appointees, and his pick of 12 others from a list approved by Congress.
The setup is intended to ensure representation for fishing, mining and other industries that depend on the ocean. The board is also supposed to include state and local government officials, environmentalists, scientists and academics.
Commissioners will hold public hearings in coastal regions, including Alaska.
©2000 The Associated Press and Reuters. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed