[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

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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.

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    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.

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    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.