ExecutiveOrdersEO
Proc 7392ProclamationClinton · D Quiet signal

Proclamation 7392

Boundary Enlargement and Modifications of the Buck Island Reef National Monument

President Clinton expanded the Buck Island Reef National Monument in the U.S. Virgin Islands by approximately 18,135 marine acres to protect additional coral reefs, marine ecosystems, and historic slave shipwrecks. The proclamation prohibits boat anchoring and all extractive uses within the expanded monument, superseding the limited extractive use authorization from the original 1961 proclamation, and requires the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a management plan within 2 years.

Federal Register Open PDF 66 FR 7335

Impact dates

  1. Secretary of the Interior must prepare management plan including vessel management

Key directives

  • Expand Buck Island Reef National Monument by approximately 18,135 marine acres
  • Withdraw all federal lands from entry, location, selection, sale, leasing, mining, and mineral leasing
  • Prohibit all boat anchoring (with exceptions for emergency/administrative purposes and permitted deep sand bottom anchoring)
  • Prohibit all extractive uses
  • Supersede limited extractive use authorization in Proclamation 3443
  • Manage monument through National Park Service
  • Prepare management plan within 2 years addressing vessel management and protection measures

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Monument boundary expansion takes effect
  • Federal lands withdrawn from entry, sale, leasing, mining, and mineral leasing
  • Boat anchoring prohibited
  • All extractive uses prohibited

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

  • Secretary of the Interior to prepare management plan within 2 years
  • National Park Service management of expanded monument
  • Potential acquisition of non-federal lands for inclusion in monument

Risks & tensions

  • Supersession of limited extractive uses in original 1961 proclamation may face pushback from established users
  • Prohibition on anchoring may affect recreational and commercial boating access
  • Management plan deadline is relative and not strictly enforced by this text
  • Subject to 'valid existing rights' which may create implementation complexity
Proclamation 7392: Boundary Enlargement and Modifications of the Buck Island Reef National Monument · Executive Orders