Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 7, 1 July 2007 — NWHI monument anniversary [ARTICLE]

NWHI monument anniversary

lune 15 marked one year since President Bush created the world's largest fully protected marine eonservation area in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in order to further protect the area's pristine islands, coral reefs, unique native species and cultural and historic resources. Benchmarks from the first year of what is now known as the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Nahonal Monument include: • A memorandum of agreement signed in December that estab-

lished and defined the relationship between the co-trustees of the monument. The co-trustees are the Coimnerce Department's Nahonal Oeeanie and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the State of Hawai'i. • The announcement of the monument's Hawaiian name, Papahānaumokuākea, by first lady Laura Bush in March. The name, whieh joins imagery of the birth of islands, with that of expansive spaces, comes from a Hawaiian tradition concerning the genealogy and formation of the Hawaiian Islands. • Implementation of a joint pennitting system and resource protection regulations, along with proposals to the International Maritime Organization that, if implemented, will help to reduce threats to the monument posed by international shipping. • Nomination of the monument to be considered for World Heritage Site status. • Commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Midway on lune 4, attended by more than 1,300 people at Midway Atoll, including a small number of surviving veterans of the pivotal World War II sea battle. More information about the Papahānaumokuākea Monument, including a comprehensive Citizen's Guide and a draft management plan, is available online at www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov.