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### Executive Order 13112
On Feb 3, 1999, Executive Order 13112 was signed establishing the National Invasive Species Council. The Executive Order requires that a Council of Depa rtments dealing with invasive species be created. Currently there are 13 Departments and Agencies on the Council

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Executive Order 13112 of February 3, 1999 - Invasive Species (PDF | 67 KB) Federal Register: Feb 8, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 25)

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:

z Section 1. Definitions

z Section 2. Federal Agency Duties

z Section 3. Invasive Species Council

z Section 4. Duties of the Invasive Species Council

z Section 5. Invasive Species Management Plan

z Section 6. Judicial Review and Administration
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Section 1. Definitions.

(a) "Alien species" means, wi th respect to a particular ecosystem, any specie s, 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 appropri ate, 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 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. Federal Laws and Regulations
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# Page 1 of 5 Invasive Species: Laws and Regulations - Executive Order 13112

5/11/2010 htt p ://www.invasives p eciesinfo. g ov/laws/execorder.shtml(e) "Introduction" means the inte ntional or unintentional escape, release, dissemination, or pl acement 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, wi th respect to a particular ecosystem, a species that, othe r 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 entiti es including environmental, agricultural, and conservation organizations, trade groups, commercial interests, an d 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.
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Section 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 intr oduction of invasive species; (ii) detect and respond rapidly to and control populations of such species in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner; (iii) monitor invasive species po pulations accurately and reliably; (iv) provide for restoration 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.
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Section 3. Invasive Species Council.

(a) An Invasive Species Council (C ouncil) is here by established whose members shall include the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the 

# Page 2 of 5 Invasive Species: Laws and Regulations - Executive Order 13112

5/11/2010 htt p ://www.invasives p eciesinfo. g ov/laws/execorder.shtmlSecretary 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 representa tives 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. (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.
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Section 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, co st-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 Environm ent and Natural Resources;

(b) encourage planning and action at local, tribal, State, regional, and ecosystem-based le vels 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 wi th 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 procurem ent, use, and maintenance of native species as they a ffect invasive species;

(e) facilitate development of a coordinated network among Federal agencies to document, 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; lif e histories of such species and invasive characteristics; economic, environmental, and human health impacts; management techniques, and laws and programs for management, resear ch, and public education; and

(g) prepare and issue a national Invasive Species Management 

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5/11/2010 htt p ://www.invasives p eciesinfo. g ov/laws/execorder.shtmlPlan as set forth in section 5 of this order.
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Section 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 (Manag ement 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 ob jectives 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 prospect ive 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 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 thro ugh 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 Offi ce of Management and Budget. Within 18 months after measur es 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 wh y the action is not feasible. The Council shall assess the effectiv eness 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.
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Section 6. Judicial Review and Administration.

(a) This order is intended on ly to improve the internal management of the executive branch and is not intended to create any right, bene fit, 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 orde r 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 Depart ment 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 

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5/11/2010 htt p ://www.invasives p eciesinfo. g ov/laws/execorder.shtmlforeign policy or national securityreasons.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, February 3, 1999.
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Last Modified: Dec 02, 2008

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5/11/2010 htt p ://www.invasives p eciesinfo. g ov/laws/execorder.shtml