    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [January 6, 2009]
    [Pages 1517-1520]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing Proclamations To Establish the Marianas Trench Marine
    National Monument, Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and
    the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument
    January 6, 2009

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you for coming, and happy New
    Year. Laura and I thank all of our distinguished
    guests, starting with members of my Cabinet: Secretary
    Kempthorne, Secretary Gutierrez, Administrator Johnson. Admiral, thank you
    for coming today; we're proud you're here. Mr. Secretary, thank you for being here; other members of the
    administration who have joined us. Members of the conservation
    community, we're glad you're here.
        Governor, I am proud you're here.
    Thank you for coming. And Josie is with
    you. Representatives from American Samoa--by the way, Northern Mariana
    Islands Governor, just in case you don't know him. [Laughter] We know
    him, and we like him. And all the representatives from America Samoa,
    really appreciate you all coming. Apologize for the weather, but I don't
    apologize for the policy, because we're fixing to do some fabulous
    policy.
        It's interesting that we're gathered a few steps from the office
    once occupied by a young Assistant Secretary of the Navy named Theodore
    Roosevelt. Not long after he left the position, he was back on these
    grounds as the 26th President of the United States. And exactly a
    hundred years ago, he embarked on his final weeks as the President--
    something I can relate to. [Laughter]
        President Roosevelt left office with many achievements, and the most
    enduring of all was his commitment to conservation. As he once said,
    ``Of all the questions which can come before the Nation, short of the
    actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which
    compares in importance with leaving this land even a better land for our
    descendants than it is for us.''
        That spirit has guided the conservation movement for a century. It's
    guided my administration. Since 2001, we have put commonsense policies
    in place, and I can say upon departure, our air is cleaner, our water is
    purer, and our lands are better protected.
        To build on this progress, I'm pleased to make several announcements
    today. Under the Antiquities Act that Theodore Roosevelt signed in 1906,
    the President can set aside places of historic or scientific
    significance to be protected as national monuments. With the
    proclamations I will sign in a few moments, I am using that authority to
    designate three beautiful and biologically diverse areas of the Pacific
    Ocean as new marine national monuments.

    [[Page 1518]]

        The first is, we will establish the Marianas Trench Marine National
    Monument. At the heart of this protected area will be much of the
    Marianas Trench--the site of the deepest point on Earth--and the
    surrounding arc of undersea volcanoes and thermal vents. This unique
    geological region is more than five times longer than the Grand Canyon.
    It is deeper than Mount Everest is tall. It supports life in some of the
    harshest conditions imaginable. A fascinating array of species survive
    amid hydrogen-emitting volcanoes, hydrothermal vents that produce highly
    acidic and boiling water, and the only known location of liquid sulfur
    this side of Jupiter.
        Many scientists--and I want to thank the scientists who have joined
    us today--believe extreme conditions like these could have been the
    first incubators of life on Earth. As further research is conducted in
    these depths, we will learn more about life at the bottom of the sea and
    about the history of our planet.
        The other major features of the new monument are the majestic coral
    reefs off the coast of the upper three islands in the Commonwealth of
    the Northern Mariana Islands. These islands, some 5,600 miles from
    California, are home to a striking diversity of marine life, from large
    predators like sharks and rays to more than 300 species of stony corals.
    By studying these pristine waters, scientists can advance our
    understanding of tropical marine ecosystems, not only there, but around
    the world.
        The second new monument will be the Pacific Remote Islands Marine
    National Monument. The monument will span seven areas to the far south
    and west of Hawaii. One is Wake Island, the site of a pivotal battle in
    World War II and a key habitat for nesting seabirds and migratory
    shorebirds. The monument will also include unique trees and grasses and
    birds adapted to life at the Equator, the rare sea turtles and whales
    and Hawaiian monk seals that visit Johnston Atoll, and some of the most
    pristine and spectacular coral reefs in the world. These isolated specks
    of land and abundant marine ecosystems are almost completely undisturbed
    by mankind. And as part of the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument,
    they will be ideal laboratories for scientific research.
        The third new monument will be the Rose Atoll Marine National
    Monument. Rose is a diamond-shaped island to the east of American Samoa,
    our Nation's southernmost territory. It includes rare species of nesting
    petrels, shearwaters, and terns, which account for its native name,
    ``Island of Seabirds.'' The waters surrounding the atoll are the home of
    many rare species, including giant clams and reef sharks, as well as an
    unusual abundance of rose-colored corals. This area has long been
    renowned as a place of natural beauty. And now that it's protected by
    law, it will also be a place of learning for generations to come.
        Taken together, these three new national monuments cover nearly
    200,000 square miles, and they will now receive our Nation's highest
    level of environmental recognition and conservation. This decision came
    after a lot of consultation: consultation with local officials,
    consultation with prominent scientists, consultation with environmental
    advocates, consultation with the United States military and the fishing
    community. Based on these consultations, as well as sound resource
    management principles, the monuments will prohibit resource destruction
    or extraction, waste-dumping, and commercial fishing. They will allow
    for research, free passage, and recreation, including the possibility of
    recreational fishing one day. For seabirds and marine life, they will be
    sanctuaries to grow and thrive. For scientists, they will be places to
    extend the frontiers of discovery. And for the American people, they
    will be places that honor our duty to be good stewards of the Almighty's
    creation.

    [[Page 1519]]

        The benefits of today's decision reach far beyond nature. The
    monuments will preserve sites of cultural and spiritual significance to
    native peoples. They will ensure full freedom of navigation and include
    measures to uphold training missions and other military operations. They
    will open the door to new economic benefits in the territories. After
    all, if travelers now, or students or scientists, book a ticket to
    Saipan or Pago Pago, they will know they're headed for a place with
    friendly people and a vibrant culture, and some of our country's most
    treasured natural resources.
        This morning I'm also pleased--today I'm also pleased to share some
    news about two other national treasures. One is the Northwestern
    Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, which I created in 2006. This
    stunning island chain is the largest single conservation area in
    American history and the largest fully protected marine area in the
    world. And the other is Mount Vernon, the home of America's first
    President and an agricultural pioneer--that would be George Washington.
    I'm pleased to announce the United States will soon submit a request
    that these two landmarks become UNESCO World Heritage sites, America's
    first such submission in 15 years.
        The new steps I've announced today are the capstone of an 8-year
    commitment to strong environmental protection and conservation. Look, I
    know that sounds contrary to the conventional wisdom of many in the news
    media. But let me just share a few facts about our record, and you can
    be the judge for yourself.
        Since 2001, air pollution has dropped by 12 percent. The strictest
    air quality standards in American history are now in place, as are
    strong regulations on power plant and diesel engine emissions. More than
    3.6 million acres of wetlands have been protected, restored, or
    improved. Millions of acres of vital natural habitat have been conserved
    on farms. More than 27 million acres of Federal forest land have been
    protected from catastrophic wildfires. The maintenance backlog in our
    national parks has been reduced. More than 11,000 abandoned industrial
    brownfields are on their way back to productive use. We've had a new
    focus on cleaning debris from our oceans. Popular recreational fish like
    the striped bass and red drum are gaining new protection. And new marine
    protected areas are helping improve the health of our fisheries off the
    southeast coast.
        At the same time, we've taken aggressive steps to make America's
    energy supply cleaner and more secure and confronted the challenge of
    global climate change. I signed two major energy bills. We raised fuel
    efficiency standards for automobiles for the first time in more than a
    decade. We mandated major increases in the use of renewable fuels and
    the efficiency of lighting and appliances.
        We dedicated more than $18 billion to developing clean and efficient
    technologies like biofuels, advanced batteries and hydrogen fuel cells,
    solar and wind power, and clean, safe nuclear power. We're providing
    more than $40 billion in loan guarantees to put these technologies to
    use.
        We forged an international agreement under the Montreal Protocol
    mandating major cuts in refrigerants that are some of the most potent
    greenhouse gases. We built international consensus on an approach that
    will replace the Kyoto Protocol with a global climate agreement that
    calls for meaningful commitments to reduce greenhouse gases from all
    major economies, including China and India.
        With all these steps, we have charted the way toward a more
    promising era in environmental stewardship. We have pioneered a new
    model of cooperative conservation in which government and private
    citizens and environmental advocates work together to achieve common
    goals. And while there's a lot more work to be done, we have done our
    part to leave behind a cleaner and healthier and better world for those
    who follow us on this Earth.

    [[Page 1520]]

        And now I'd like those who have been assigned the task of standing
    up here to join me as I sign the national monuments.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:08 p.m. in Room 350 of the Dwight D.
    Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to
    Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.), in his capacity as
    Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
    and Gov. Benigno R. Fitial of the Northern Mariana Islands and his wife
    Josepina. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks. The proclamations are listed in
    Appendix D at the end of this volume.