Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
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2008-06-18T16:45:13Z
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{{Infobox_protected_area | name = Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
| iucn_category = III <!-- Note: site is not listed in IUCN database, but appears to conform with Category III -->
| image = NHINM.png
| caption = Papahānaumokuākea MNM approximate boundary outlined
| locator_x =
| locator_y =
| location = [[Honolulu County, Hawaii]], [[United States|USA]]
| nearest_city = [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]
| lat_degrees = 25
| lat_minutes = 42
| lat_seconds = 0
| lat_direction = N
| long_degrees = 171
| long_minutes = 44
| long_seconds = 0
| long_direction = W
| area = {{convert|140000|sqmi|km2|-4}}
| established = [[June 15]], [[2006]]
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] and [[Fish and Wildlife Service]]
}}
The '''Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument''' (formerly the '''Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument''') is the largest [[Marine Protected Area]] in the world. The new native [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] name, '''[[Papahānaumokuākea]]''' – chosen by state residents – reflects Hawaiian traditions relating to the birth of the Islands. According to [[folklore]], Papahanaumoku is the goddess who birthed the islands; her husband was [[Wakea]]. The area was named by the U.S. television show ''[[Good Morning America]]'' and newspaper ''[[USA Today]]'' as one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World".<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/7Wonders/ ABC Good Morning America "7 New Wonders" Page]</ref>
The monument supports 7,000 species, one quarter of which are [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]]. Prominent species include the threatened [[Green Sea Turtle]] and the endangered [[Hawaiian Monk Seal]], the [[Laysan Finch|Laysan]] and [[Nihoa Finch]]es, the [[Nihoa Millerbird]], [[Laysan Duck]], seabirds like the [[Laysan Albatross]], numerous species of plants including [[Pritchardia remota|''Pritchardia'' palms]], and many species of arthropods. According to NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, populations of [[spiny lobster]] have not recovered from an oceanographic ecosystem regime shift that affected the North Pacific during the late 1980s and early 1990s<ref>Polovina, Jeffrey J., [http://www.wpcouncil.org/NWHI/Documents/Polovina+Regime%20shifts.pdf Climate variation, regime shifts, and implications for sustainable fisheries], Bulletin of Marine Science, 76(2): 233–244, 2005, .pdf</ref> which reduced populations of a variety species, including seabirds and monk seals. According to the proclamation, by 2011, [[commercial fishing]] will end and the area will be promoted as a [[tourist destination]].<ref name=BBC_5083974>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5083974.stm Bush to protect Hawaiian islands], [[BBC News]], [[15 June]] [[2006]]</ref>
== Area and administration ==
[[Image:NOAA system map.gif|right|thumb|290px|View of NOAA system, centered on the new monument northwest of Hawaii.]]
As the 124th [[U.S. National Monument|National Monument]] of the [[United States]], it preserves much of the [[Northwestern Hawaiian Islands]] under the [[Department of the Interior]]'s [[Fish and Wildlife Service]] and the [[Department of Commerce]]'s [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13300363/|title=Bush to create world's biggest ocean preserve|author=[[MSNBC]]|date=[[2006-06-15]]|accessdate=2006-06-15}}</ref>.
The monument covers roughly 140,000 square miles (360,000 km²) of reefs, atolls and shallow and deep sea (out to {{convert|50|mi|km|0}} offshore) in the [[Pacific Ocean]] — larger than all of America's [[U.S. National Parks|National Parks]] combined.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.pewtrusts.org/ideas/ideas_item.cfm?content_item_id=3417&content_type_id=15&page=15&issue=16&issue_name=Protecting%20ocean%20life&name=Op-eds%20(Pew)| title=Treasure Islands| author=Joshua Reichert and [[Theodore Roosevelt IV]]| accessdate=June 15| accessyear=2006| }}</ref> It contains approximately 10 percent of the tropical shallow water [[coral reef]] habitat (i.e., 0 to 100 fathoms) in U.S. territory. <ref> Rohmann S et al. (2005) The area of potential shallow-water tropical and subtropical coral ecosystems in the United States. Coral Reefs 24(3):370-383)[http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=l6h6688q06132116] </ref>. It is slightly larger than [[Australia]]'s [[Great Barrier Reef Marine Park]], approximately the size of the country of [[Germany]], and just slightly smaller than [[Montana]]. About {{convert|132000|sqmi|km2|-3}} of the monument were already part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve or the [[Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge]]. [[NOAA]] is responsible for the oceanic areas of the new monument; the [[Fish and Wildlife Service]] will continue responsibility for the land areas.<ref>[http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2006/2006-06-15-03.asp Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Proclaimed a National Monument], [[Environment News Service]], [[June 15]], [[2006]]</ref> An emergency landing strip on [[Midway Atoll]] for trans-Pacific flights will continue to be maintained.
The islands included in the monument are all part of the [[State of Hawaii]], except Midway Atoll, which is an [[Incorporated territory|unincorporated territory]] of the United States.
==History and establishment==
[[Image:Albatross birds at Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Monument, Midway Atoll, 2007March01.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Laysan Albatross|Laysan]] and [[Short-tailed Albatross]]es at Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Monument]]
[[Image:Necker Island 1969.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Necker Island]] is located within the Monument]]
The genesis of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) as a protected area began in 1909, when President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] created the Hawaiian Islands Reservation through Executive Order 1019, as a response to the over-harvesting of seabirds, and in recognition of the islands' importance as seabird nesting sites.<ref>Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument: A Citizen's Guide, published by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)</ref> Its status was later upgraded to the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1940 by President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. A series of incremental protections for the NWHI followed, leading to the establishment of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 1988, Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary in 1993, and the NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve in 2000.<ref> [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/16C32.txt National Marine Sanctuaries Act of 2000], which became Public Law 106-513 on [[November 13]], [[2000]].</ref> <ref> Sanctuary Designation[http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/management/designation/welcome.html]</ref>
The Executive Orders that created the Reserve in 2000 initiated a process to designate the waters of the NWHI as a [[Marine Protected Area|National Marine Sanctuary]]. A public comment period began in 2002. In 2005, [[Governor of Hawaii]] [[Linda Lingle]] declared parts of the monument a state marine refuge.<ref>[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2644.htm NOAA news release], [[15 June]] [[2006]]</ref>
<!-- [[Image:George W Bush signs proclamation to create the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.jpg|left|thumb|290px|[[George W. Bush]] signing proclamation to establish the monument on [[June 15]], [[2006]]]] -->
In April of 2006, President Bush and his wife viewed a screening of the documentary film ''[[Voyage to Kure]]'' at the [[White House]] along with its director, [[Jean-Michel Cousteau]] (son of documentary film maker [[Jacques-Yves Cousteau]]). Compelled by the film's portrayal of the flora and fauna of the region, Bush moved quickly to protect the area <ref>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060615-6.html Transcript of the June 15, 2006, proclamation ceremony]</ref><ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/turnaround-as-bush-creates-huge-aquatic-eden/2006/06/15/1149964675837.html Turnaround as Bush creates huge aquatic Eden] by Kenneth Weiss of the [[Los Angeles Times]], [[June 15]] [[2006]] </ref> <ref>[http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/episodes/kure/ Ocean Adventures web site] </ref>.
It was proclaimed by President [[George W. Bush]] on [[June 15]], [[2006]] under the 1906 [[Antiquities Act]], bypassing the normal year of consultations and halting the public input process on the eve of the dissemination of the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary. This was the second use by Bush of the Antiquities Act, following the declaration of the [[African Burial Ground National Monument]] on [[Manhattan]] in February 2006.<ref name=BBC_5083974/> The legislated process for stakeholder involvement in the planning and management of a marine protected area had already taken five years of effort, but the abrupt establishment of the NWHI as a National Monument, rather than a Sanctuary, provided immediate and more resilient protection, revocable only by an act of the [[United States Congress]]. The plan for the monument is expected to take 18 months to develop. <ref> Ask the White House, June 20, 2006[http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/20060620.html] </ref>.
After the signing of the proclamation, [[Joshua Reichert]] (Head of Environmental Programs at the [[Pew Charitable Trusts]], an institution which had advocated strongly for the elimination of commercial fishing<ref> Jan. 26, 2006, letter from Reichart to Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere [http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/management/designation/docs_letters/Pew_Lautenbacher012606.pdf])</ref>) explained the importance of the timely designation in an interview on the ''[[News Hour with Jim Lehrer]]'':
{{cquote|''Monument status is quicker; it's more comprehensive; and it's more permanent. Only an act of [[United States Congress|Congress]] can undo a monument designation. The sanctuary process, it takes longer; it involves more congressional input, more public debate, more hearings and meetings. And he [George W. Bush] obviously made a decision today to, actually, take a bold step and create something which is going to be immediate, that the law applies immediately to this place now.''<ref>Transcript of news segment [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/jan-june06/hawaii_06-15.html "President Bush Declares National Monument in Hawaii"], on [[News Hour with Jim Lehrer]], originally aired June 15, 2006. Interview segment moderated by [[Jeffrey Brown (journalist)|Jeffrey Brown]] </ref>}}
Other environmental officials such as [[Stephanie Fried]] of [[Environmental Defense]] expressed "tremendous concern" that commercial activity, including [[eco-tourism]] and commercial [[fishing]], could take place in the reserve, but details on the rules were not immediately available.<ref>[http://outside.away.com/outside/news/20060616_1.html President Bush Announces World’s Largest Marine Sanctuary], by [[Laurel Wamsley]], [[Outside Online]], [[June 15]], [[2006]]</ref>
Frank McCoy, chair of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, said: "We are pleased the President recognizes the near pristine condition of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands waters. We believe the abundance and biodiversity of the area attests to the successful management of the NWHI fisheries by the Council the past 30 years and indicates that properly regulated fisheries can operate in the NWHI without impacting the ecosystem. The small NWHI bottomfish fishery has not and would not jeopardize the protection of the NWHI that President Bush is pursuing by designating the area a national monument." <ref> NWHI Fisheries and Ecosystem Protection Have and Can Co-Exist [http://www.wpcouncil.org/press/06.15.06PressRelease_NWHIMonument.pdf] </ref>.
[[Image:Nwhi - French Frigate Shoals reef - many fish.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A school of [[Pennant coralfish]], [[Pyramid butterflyfish|Pyramid]] and [[Millet butterflyfish]]es, and others at the Rapture Reef, [[French Frigate Shoals]]]]
The National Marine Fisheries Service has published reports attesting to the health of the NWHI bottomfish stocks <ref> NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Response to Questions Concerning Hawaii's Bottomfish Populations, Oct. 27, 2005 [http://www.wpcouncil.org/NWHI/Documents/PIFSC%202005%20bfish%20overview.pdf] </ref>. <ref> NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center response to questions concerning Hawaii's bottomfish and seamount groundfish populations, Oct. 24, 2005 [http://nwhi.wetserver.net/docs/NOAA%20Pacific%20Islands%20Fisheries%20Science%20Center.pdf] </ref> Commercial bottomfish and pelagic fishing as well as recreational catch-and-keep and catch-and-release fishing were also deemed compatible to the goals and objectives of the proposed NWHI National Marine Sanctuary <ref> Advice and recommendations for development of draft fishing regulations under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 304(a)(5) for the proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary [http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/management/designation/pdfs/Final_NMSA_304a5.pdf] </ref>.
The NWHI accounted for approximately half of the locally landed bottomfish in Hawaii, and these fish are highly valued by local chefs and local consumers. Concerns have been raised about Hawaii having to import these fish from other areas of the Pacific that do not have the resources to manage and monitor their fisheries effectively. The NWHI bottomfish fishery is a limited entry fishery, with eight active vessels, which are restricted to {{convert|60|ft|m|0}} in length.
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands accounts for approximately two-thirds of the waters of Hawaii, an island state with limited land resources and no continental shelf. With inclusion of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, more than 65 percent of the potential shallow water coral ecosystems of the U.S. Pacific islands are now protected.
On January 22, 2008, U.S. Secretary of the Interior [[Dirk Kempthorne]] announced that Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument would be one of 14 sites added to the U.S. [[World Heritage National Tentative Lists|World Heritage Tentative List]] for submission to the UNESCO [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Centre]] on February 1, 2008 <ref>DOI Secretary Kempthorne Selects New
U.S. World Heritage Tentative List [http://www.nps.gov/oia/topics/worldheritage/New_Tentative_List.htm]</ref>.
==See also==
*[[United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
{{commons|Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument}}
{{wikinews|Bush proclaims Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a National Monument}}
* [http://www.interior.gov/news/07_News_Releases/070302.html Secretary Kempthorne Joins Mrs. Laura Bush in Announcing Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument]
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060615-6.html Remarks by President Bush on the Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument]
* NWHI Sustainable Fisheries [http://nwhisustainablefisheries.info]
* [http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_nwhi Northwestern Hawaiian Islands page], [[Ocean Conservancy]], [[15 June]] [[2006]]
* NOAA website: [http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov/ Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument]
* Google Earth Link - [http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=456655 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument]
* Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Education Project website: [http://www.hawaiianatolls.org/ Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Education Project]
* World Ocean Observatory [http://www.thew2o.net]
{{NWHawaiianIslands}}
{{Registered Historic Places}}
[[Category:2006 establishments]]
[[Category:Honolulu County, Hawaii]]
[[Category:National Monuments in Hawaii]]
[[Category:Northwestern Hawaiian Islands]]
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