Establishment of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Following a tradition started by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909, on June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush established the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, setting apart 139,793 square miles of federal lands and waters to protect the area’s significant natural, cultural, and historic resources. The monument will be managed by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in close coordination with the State of Hawaii.

Included within the National Monument are two National Wildlife Refuges: the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge extending from Nihoa Island to Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Atoll also is designated as the Battle of Midway National Memorial. The National Monument also includes the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve administered by NOAA and the State Marine Refuge managed by the State of Hawaii.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Management Plan (April 2008)

The management plan files are very large. If you are having difficulty viewing the files in your browser, right click on the file and choose "save target as" - this allows you to save the file to your hard drive for easier viewing or you may download the individual chapters.

Volume I - Draft Monument Management Plan

• Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Management Framework
• Chapter 3 - Action Plans
• Chapter 4 - Glossary and References

Volume II - Environmental Assessment

• Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Affected Environment
• Chapter 3 - Environmental Consequences
• Chapter 4 - Other Required NEPA Analysis
• Chapter 5 - Agency and Public Participation
• Chapter 6 - References
• Chapter 7- List of Preparers
• Appendix A - Cultural Impact Assessment

Volume III - Appendices: Supporting Documents and References

• Appendix A - Permitting Process
• Appendix B - Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Draft Conceptual Site Plan
• Appendix C - Midway Atoll Draft Visitor Services Plan
• Appendix D - FWS Compatibility Determinations
• Appendix E - Maintenance of Wilderness Character of the Proposed Hawaiian Islands Wilderness
• Appendix F - Presidential Proclamations 8031 and 8112
• Appendix G - Monument Regulations
• Appendix H - Monument Memorandum of Agreement
• Appendix I - Operational Protocols and Best Management Practices

Volume IV - Midway Atoll NWR Conceptual Site Plan

As part of the planning process, we invited you to identify new issues to be considered in the management plan. Those issues, combined with the issues identified during the sanctuary designation planning process and the comments submitted on the Midway Atoll Interim Visitor Services Plan, have been summarized into a scoping report. The report, as well as a summary report, are available at the links below.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Management Plan Scoping Report (September 2007)

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Management Plan Report Summary (September 2007)

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Fact Sheets, Federal Register Notices, Proclamations, Remarks

Federal Register - Notice of availability for the draft monument management plan and environmental assessment;
announcement of public meetings; request for comments (April 2008)

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawai‘i; Monument Management Plan Notice; Preparation of a Management Plan, and Environmental Assessment (April 2007)

Mrs. Bush's Remarks (March 2007)

Presidential Proclamation - Amending Proclamation 8031 of June 15, 2006, to read, "Establishment of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (February 2007)

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Monument One of "Seven Wonders of the World" - Article Published in People, Land & Water (January 2007)

Permit Application and Instructions for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument (January 2007)

Final Rule - Published in the Federal Register (August 2006)

Monument Planning Updates

Ka Palapala Ho'omaopopo: Papahānaumokuākea - The Informative Letter: Papahānaumokuākea (April 2008)

Ka Palapala Ho'omaopopo: Papahānaumokuākea - The Informative Letter: Papahānaumokuākea (February 2008)

Ka Palapala Ho'omaopopo: Papahānaumokuākea - The Informative Letter: Papahānaumokuākea (September 2007)

News Releases

Draft Monument Management Plan Released For Public Review and Comment (April 2008)

Hawai'i's Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Considered for Initial Nomination to World Heritage List (March 2008)

Announcing public comment period to provide input on the Monument Natural Resources Science Plan (October 2007)

One Year Anniversary of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (June 2007)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Selects Co-Manager of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (May 2007)

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Planning Underway (April 2007)

Agencies Publish Rules on Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Monument (August 2006)

President Sets Aside Largest Marine Conservation Area on Earth (June 2006)