01/31/00 MON 08:47 FAX 202 456 9460 JAN. 30. 2000

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01/31/00 MON 08:47 FAX 202 456 9460 JAN. 30. 2000 4:29PM WHSR 03 NSC EXECSEC NO. 443 P. 3 002 2 No later than By the first day of March in 2002 – and perhaps as early as this November – the people of Vieques will vote. In that vote, the people of Vieques will be asked to choose between two alternatives. If they choose the first alternative, the Navy will cease all training on Vieques and leave the island by May 1, 2003. If they choose the other alternative, training will continue on Vieques on terms that will be presented at least three months before the vote. I believe this is the best way to resolve the impasse over Vieques, because it gives the people most affected by this decision – the people who actually live on the island – the right to determine for themselves which course of action we should take. In the meantime, until that vote is held, we are taking several other steps to ensure that our servicemen and women get the training they need, while addressing Viequen concerns. First, during the period leading up to the vote, I am ordering that training done on Vieques will be limited to non-explosive ordnance – meaning there will be no live fire. I am also directing the Navy and Marine Corps to cut in half the amount of time they will spend training. In 1998, our troops trained for 182 days on Vieques. This year, they will be authorized for 90 days, which is what we need to meet our essential training needs. Second, to address the problems caused by past training, we will implement measures to meet the economic, health, safety, and environmental concerns of the people of Vieques. Measures we will implement include, among other things, development of a new commercial ferry pier and terminal, an artificial reef to create new commercial fishing areas, temporary compensation for fishermen, expanding and improving roads, a bioluminescent bay preservation program, a job training program for young people, providing land to extend the airport runway, and a Public Health Service Study. Transferring ownership of the dusted quarter of the island, positioning Navy ships to reduce noise,