A field of Laysan albatross patiently incubate their eggs day and night on Eastern Island in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
Posted on 06/15/2006 12:15:18 AM PDT by Lorianne
President Bush on Thursday is expected to announce plans to create the world's largest marine protected area — a group of remote Hawaiian islands that cover 84 million acres and are home to 7,000 species of birds, fish and marine mammals, at least a quarter of which are unique to Hawaii.
The proposed sanctuary encompasses the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which conservationists describe as the most intact tropical marine region under U.S. jurisdiction.
"This an unprecedented win for endangered Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, black-footed albatrosses, tiger sharks, the incredible reef corals in these waters, the people of Hawaii and all Americans, now and in generations to come," Elliott Norse, president of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, said in a statement ahead of the announcement. "It’s the start of a new era of protecting places in the sea before they’re degraded beyond recognition. In my opinion, this is the best thing President Bush has done for the environment." Added Fred Krupp, head of Environmental Defense: "The president is creating the world's largest marine protected area. It's as important as the establishment of Yellowstone" — arguably the crown jewel of the National Park System.
Following a review process and public hearings expected to be completed by the end of the year, the sanctuary will be 38 times larger than Yellowstone, and larger even than Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
A field of Laysan albatross patiently incubate their eggs day and night on Eastern Island in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
Ooops, forgot the link
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13300363/
Yay! Mr. President ! Mahalo plenty Sir...
Sometimes Bush does something that just frosts me. This happens to be one of them. I am sick and tired of the government controlling land.
This frosts me too, for the same reason.
Next month they'll find the worlds largest oil field under this sucker!
Me three.
L
As long as he announces it from a table set up at the Grand Canyon...
I can't wait to hear John F'n Kerry criticize this move because it's too little, too late.
Can we first make sure there is no oil under those waters?
Despite all of the carping about property rights, this is a good move. These are small islands with a unique wildlife and sea life eco-system, and the preservation of such an area is a good thing. It's similar to Yellowstone, and I don't see people wanting Yellowstone carved up and developed.
Exactly. Those opposed to ecology are confusing it with Gore's extremism.
President Bush is doing a good thing for the environment.
Lets look at it this way. These Islands are probably not worth much as locations for homes or commercial property. If they were the japanese would have already bought them an put up condo's.
Good point! LOL!
Exactly. Those opposed to ecology are confusing it with Gore's extremism.
President Bush is doing a good thing for the environment.
Right on! Most of this territory is water or perhaps future land cause by volcanic activity. This area should have been protected long ago.
If these lands are not commercaially viable, then this is largely a symbolic jesture, in other words, legacy building...
It's not land, unless you consider aquatic real estate as land.
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