Clinton Order Takes On Pest Invasions

President Clinton issued an executive order to expand federal efforts to combat the growing problems created by the quiet influx of foreign plants and animals into the U.S. Troublesome alien species, such as the Chinese mitten crab and the voracious Asian long-horned beetle, are costing Americans tens of billions of dollars and threatening entire ecosystems. Three senior administration officials will head a new interagency Invasive Species Council. The executive order directs the departments of Agriculture, Interior and Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard to coordinate better efforts against invaders.