LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: President Clinton wants to keep the oceans clean, and he will travel today to a barrier island off the Maryland coast to announce a new protection for fragile stretches of sea, beach and coral reef. Details now from White House correspondent Kelly Wallace. Good morning, Kelly.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Leon. The White House says increasing development along the coast, the increasing demand for seafood, and also pollution are all things that are threatening marine life and putting more and more pressure on oceans around the country. And that is what the administration says is driving today's announcement. And to unveil this new environmental plan, President Clinton will travel to picturesque Assateague Island off the Maryland coast, just as people all over the country head to the beaches and the coast for this Memorial Day weekend. Mr. Clinton will announce he is directing his agencies to take steps to develop new so-called ocean conservation zones. Fishing and offshore oil drilling would be banned in these areas. Critics of the plan are likely to be commercial fishermen and businesses that rely on the ocean. The president will issue an executive order to develop these marine protected areas. He'll also call on the Environmental Protection Agency to develop Clean Water Act regulations to reduce coastal pollution. And he'll direct his agencies to come up with a plan in 120 days to permanently protect the coral reefs of the northwest Hawaiian Islands. Those reefs represents 70 percent of the coral reefs in U.S. waters. Now these actions do not require congressional approval, and they come after Mr. Clinton has issued a series of executive orders to protect some of the nation's forests and public lands. These are the latest examples of the president trying to use his executive powers to accomplish what he hasn't been able to do in the Congress, although, today, Mr. Clinton will have a message for Congress. He'll call on lawmakers to fund his so-called Lands Legacy Initiative, and that includes funds to protect lands and also oceans around the country. Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting live from the White House.</s>HARRIS: All right, thank you, Kelly.
President Clinton to Announce New Ocean Protection Initiative