Amendments to Executive Order 12962

This executive order amends a 1995 order on recreational fishing by expanding the list of governing statutes and explicitly requiring that recreational fishing be managed as a sustainable activity in federal conservation areas including wildlife refuges, national parks, marine sanctuaries, and other protected areas.

Federal Register Open PDF 73 FR 57229

Key directives

Update preamble of EO 12962 to replace single Magnuson Act reference with eight specific statutes including National Marine Sanctuaries Act, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, National Park Service Organic Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Wilderness Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
Insert new subsection (d) requiring recreational fishing be managed as sustainable activity in national wildlife refuges, national parks, national monuments, national marine sanctuaries, marine protected areas, and other relevant federal conservation or management areas
Redesignate existing subsections (d) through (i) as (e) through (j)

Timeline

Immediate

EO takes effect upon signing
statutory references in EO 12962 updated

Near term (90d)

federal agencies must align management practices with new sustainable fishing mandate

Long term

ongoing management of recreational fishing in federal conservation areas under expanded statutory framework

Risks & tensions

Potential tension between 'sustainable activity' mandate and existing conservation priorities in protected areas; text does not define 'sustainable' or establish enforcement mechanisms
No private right of action created per Section 2, limiting judicial recourse
Vague scope of 'any other relevant conservation or management areas or activities under any Federal authority' leaves implementation boundary uncertain