    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 24 (Monday, June 19, 2006)]
    [Pages 1147-1150]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on the Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine
    National Monument

    June 15, 2006

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Pretty good deal when you get
    introduced by your wife. [Laughter] I really am glad Laura is here,
    because she is a champion of our Nation's cultural and natural
    resources. It's an honor to share this important day with her at the
    podium. And I want to thank you all for coming.
        As I was walking in here, I actually saw Theodore Roosevelt's
    portrait over there. What's interesting is that we are here to fulfill a
    legacy of conservation that was first begun by Theodore Roosevelt. In
    1909, President Roosevelt established the Hawaiian Island Reservation,
    and he did so to protect native seabirds from being hunted. His
    Executive order was the first of many Presidential efforts to protect
    the life and waters of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
        In a few moments, I will sign a proclamation to designate the waters
    in this region a national monument. This action will create the
    Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, the largest
    single conservation area in the history of our country and the largest
    protected marine area in the world.
        As a marine national monument, the waters of the Northwestern
    Hawaiian Islands will receive our Nation's highest form of marine
    environmental protection. We will protect a precious natural resource.
    We will show our respect for the cultural and historical importance of
    this area. And we will create an important place for research and
    learning about how we can be good stewards of our oceans and our
    environment.
        I can't thank the Governor for being here enough, Governor Linda
    Lingle. She's--as I'll mention a little later on, we've been in close
    consultation with the Governor. And when did you leave yesterday?
    [Laughter] We're sure honored you're here representing your great State.
        I want to thank Senator Daniel Akaka for joining us as well. I want
    to thank Congressman Ed Case, and I know that Congressman Neil
    Abercrombie will be here shortly for the

    [[Page 1148]]

    signing of this important proclamation. Sherry Boehlert is here from the
    great State of New York--a strong conservationist. Welcome, Congressman.
    I'm glad you're here. I appreciate Senator Fred Hemmings from--he's a
    minority leader, by the way, of the Hawaiian State senate. Thanks for
    coming. I'm glad you're here.
        I appreciate Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.
    I want to thank Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher of NOAA. Thanks for
    coming. Appreciate your hard work on this issue. As you will hear a
    little later on, NOAA will be playing an important part of this national
    monument.
        I want to thank Jean-Michel Cousteau for joining us. He just showed
    me a picture of another President--well, two fathers kind of gathered
    together. And it's proud for two sons to be carrying on the legacy of
    conservation. He's made a really important movie that I hope people
    watch about the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. I think the American
    people will understand better about why I made the decision I made when
    they see the movie that Jean-Michel has produced.
        I want to thank Sylvia Earle. She's a marine biologist. She's
    explorer in residence of the National Geographic Society. It was during
    the showing of the movie that she sat me down and gave me a pretty good
    lecture about life. [Laughter] She actually invited me to spend a week
    with her under the seas. [Laughter] There's some in Congress who would
    like me to spend my lifetime under the seas. [Laughter]
        I want to thank Mike Nussman; he's the president and CEO of American
    Sportfishing Association. Thanks for coming, Mike. I want to thank the
    guests from the environmental community who are here today. Thanks for
    your hard work on this vital issue.
        The vibrant beauty of the oceans is a blessing to our country. And
    it's a blessing to the world. The oceans contain countless natural
    treasures. They carry much of our trade; they provide food and
    recreation for billions of people. We have a responsibility, a solemn
    responsibility to be good stewards of the oceans and the creatures who
    inhabit them.
        In 2004, my administration released an Ocean Action Plan to promote
    an ethic of responsible use and stewardship for our oceans and coastal
    resources. By establishing this new national monument, we implement an
    important part of our plan, and we accomplish three goals for the
    nation: First, this new national monument will honor our commitment to
    be good stewards of America's natural resources.
        Our duty is to use the land and seas wisely or, sometimes, not use
    them at all. Good stewardship of the environment is not just a personal
    responsibility, it is a public value. Americans are united in the belief
    that we must preserve our natural heritage and safeguard the
    environment. This belief has affirmed our laws, and today we reaffirm
    that commitment once again.
        The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are a beautiful and special place.
    The 10 islands and atolls stretch over 1,400 miles. That's the distance
    from Chicago to Miami. In the tropical waters surrounding the
    archipelago, there are more than 4,500 square miles of coral reef
    habitat thriving under the surface. Think about that--4,500 square miles
    of coral reef. These undersea forests and mountain ranges comprise the
    largest remote reef system in the world. And this region holds the
    largest and healthiest untouched coral reef system in the United States.
    And we're going to preserve it.
        These reefs burst with life, great predators like the white tip reef
    shark and the spinner dolphins and the Trevally jacks. The archipelago
    is home to more than 7,000 marine species. That's a quarter of which are
    found nowhere else on the world. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are
    also the primary home for nearly 1,400 surviving Hawaiian monk seals.
    That's virtually the entire population of this critically endangered
    species. They are the breeding grounds for approximately 90 percent of
    the threatened Hawaiian Island green sea turtle population.
        I think you're beginning to get a feel for why I made the decision I
    made. The national monument we're establishing today covers nearly
    140,000 square miles. To put this area in context, this national
    monument is more than 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park,
    larger than 46 of our 50 States, and more than 7 times larger than all
    our national marine sanctuaries combined. This is a big deal.

    [[Page 1149]]

        We will preserve access for native Hawaiian cultural activities. As
    part of the proclamation, the Department of the Interior and the
    Department of Commerce will work with the State of Hawaii and the public
    to develop a plan to manage the monument. This proclamation will also
    charge NOAA to use its expertise to oversee the new marine areas and the
    Fish and Wildlife Service to apply their skills to the wildlife refuge
    areas.
        Within the boundaries of the monument, we will prohibit unauthorized
    passage of ships; we will prohibit unauthorized recreational or
    commercial activity; we will prohibit any resource extraction or dumping
    of waste. And over a 5-year period, we will phase out commercial fishing
    as well. For sea birds and sea life, this unique region will be a
    sanctuary for them to grow and to thrive. And for the American people,
    it will be a place that honors our responsibility to protect our natural
    resources.
        This new monument shows what cooperative conservation can
    accomplish. My administration is committed to working in a spirit of
    respect and cooperation with those seeking to protect our land and sea
    and sky. We believe cooperative conservation is the best way to protect
    the environment. This means we must focus on the needs of States and
    respect the unique knowledge of local authorities and welcome the help
    of private groups and volunteers.
        Through cooperative conservation, we're moving away from the old
    environmental debates that pit one group against another and towards a
    system that brings citizens of every level of government together to get
    results. In the northwest Hawaiian Islands, we have worked with Governor
    Lingle and State officials and native Hawaiian leaders to ensure, first
    and foremost, that they wanted the monument and, secondly, to make sure
    that we protect the cultural and historical heritage of these islands.
        For more than 1,000 years, native Hawaiians sailed these waters and
    visited these islands as part of sacred journeys. The islands are dotted
    with archeological treasures and traditional sites of worship. This
    monument will protect the cultural ties that native Hawaiians have to
    these lands and waters. We respect these natives' beliefs, and this
    monument will safeguard both the natural and spiritual treasures of the
    region. And for this reason, we will consult with native Hawaiian
    leaders to give this monument a native Hawaiian name.
        Protecting the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, volunteers play an
    important part. Jean-Michel taught us that in his movie. Through a major
    Federal-State partnership, volunteer divers work together to remove nets
    and gear that have been abandoned by fishermen. In one year alone,
    divers removed more than 120 tons of this derelict fishing gear. To
    fight the destructive effects of abandoned nets and other debris, the
    Ocean Action Plan directed the Coast Guard and EPA and NOAA and the
    State Department and the Interior Department to coordinate efforts to
    improve how the Federal Government tracks, prevents, and cleans up
    maritime waste. And we've got more work to do. And I expect these
    agencies to be robust in our efforts to prevent this kind of debris from
    polluting our--polluting this sanctuary, this monument.
        We're going to work together with volunteers to make our oceans
    safer for marine life. And to give this remote and special place our
    Nation's highest level of protection--as we give it this kind of
    protection, we're also reminded of our responsibility to be wise
    managers of marine resources living off every coast. And that's why
    we're working to end overfishing. Overfishing is harmful. It's harmful
    to our country, and it's harmful to the world.
        To protect our marine ecosystem and the future fishing of all kinds,
    the Ocean Action Plan calls for Congress to reauthorize the Magnuson-
    Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. They need to get that
    done. This act would provide enhanced authority to work with regional
    fish councils to build an improved market-based system to restore our
    fisheries. I like to fish, and I expect this Government of ours to
    protect the fisheries so sports people can fish and get a good catch.
    That's why I'm glad the sportsmen are here--sportfishing people are
    here. You know, you just got to understand, we're going to listen to
    you. It's in the Nation's interest that we have a robust recreational
    fishing industry.

    [[Page 1150]]

        Congress needs to move forward with my administration's plan to
    build a well-managed system of offshore aquaculture. Aquaculture or
    ``fish farming'' uses pens in the ocean--open ocean to feed and grow
    shrimp, shellfish, and many other types of fish. And when we get this
    right, these farmed fish can provide a healthy source of food and reduce
    pressure on the ocean ecosystems.
        In the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, we're also preserving an historic
    landmark of great importance. Near the northern edge of these islands
    lies Midway Island, the site of one of the most decisive battles of
    World War II. On this atoll, there's a memorial to the sacrifice and
    valor of those who fought in the Pacific theater during World War II.
    This national monument will have special access area around Midway
    Island. That's what we want. We want people to go and pay homage to
    those who sacrifice for our freedom.
        Third, the new national monument creates a new opportunity for ocean
    education and research for decades to come. Successful ocean stewardship
    depends on informed policy makers and an informed public. One of the key
    priorities of the Ocean Action Plan is promoting ocean education. Jean-
    Michel put it this way, he said, ``How can we protect what we don't
    understand?'' Ninety-five percent of our planet's oceans have yet to be
    explored. We're just beginning to appreciate what the seas have to offer
    humanity. The waters of this new national monument will be a living
    laboratory that offers new opportunities to discover new life, that
    helps us better manage our ocean ecosystems, and allows us to pursue
    advances in science.
        You know, in America, there's a great consensus that we have an
    obligation to be good stewards of the environment. Success of a
    generation is not defined by wealth alone. We also will be measured by
    the respect we give to the precious creatures of our natural world.
        We have great choices before us in this country. And with the
    designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Marine National
    Monument, we are making a choice that will leave a precious legacy.
        I want to thank you all for joining us today. It's an historic
    moment. Thank you all for your leadership. And may God bless the
    country.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:34 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Linda Lingle of Hawaii; and
    oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau.