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NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

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  • NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

    President Bush will create the world's largest protected marine area today, designating as a national monument a 1,200-mile-long chain of small Hawaiian islands and surrounding waters and reefs that are home to a spectacular array of sea life, senior administration officials said last night.
    NYT article

    Apparently he was impressed by a Cousteau film.
    http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

  • #2
    Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

    So I'm wondering what the Hawaii legislative delegation had to give up in order to get NWHI declared a sanctuary rather than a marine reserve. We all know in politics that you don't get something for nothing.

    Miulang

    Lika/Link: I stand corrected. So it's now a monument (like Mt. Rushmore). I still think there was some interesting behind-the-scenes politics going on for the White House to take this action. Hell, the Dept of the Interior is trying to sell off national park forests!
    Last edited by Miulang; June 15, 2006, 08:58 AM.
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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    • #3
      Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

      What I got from the article was that it was a last-minute Presidential decision which bumped it up to sanctuary status. Doing so avoids a year of hearings.

      NBC's "First Read" political newsletter today speculates that "It's all about the legacy, baby."

      Update:
      I'm wrong. It had been expected to be a sanctuary, which would take a year.
      Earlier yesterday, the region, which at 140,000 square miles is nearly the size of California, was to have been named a national marine sanctuary, a different kind of protection that could have taken a year to enact.
      It got bumped up from sanctuary to monument, the NYT article sez.
      Last edited by Linkmeister; June 15, 2006, 08:16 AM. Reason: Correction
      http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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      • #4
        Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

        A good story in today's Star-Bulletin here, and a really good story in today's Advertiser here!
        .
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        That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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        • #5
          Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

          This sidebar story to the Advertiser story tells the history of past efforts to protect the NWHI waters. Just like Statehood, it took many many years and many many attempts!

          Miulang
          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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          • #6
            Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

            Bush signed it an hour ago, so it's official, according to the Breaking News story here.
            .
            .

            That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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            • #7
              Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

              Cool, I guess.... I'm waiting to see what the rules are going to be.

              Jewlipino

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              • #8
                Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                Originally posted by Jewlipino
                Cool, I guess.... I'm waiting to see what the rules are going to be.
                You can pretty much see them here in the text of Bush's speech this morning.
                .
                .

                That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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                • #9
                  Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                  Legacy:
                  Bush remembered as the ocean-luvin' enviro-prez? Can you see GDub high-fiving Linda Lingle and going "Kiss my Arse Al Gore!"
                  Aloha from Lavagal

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                  • #10
                    Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                    I'm surprised, impressed, and happy, generally, but I don't think I'm the only one who can't stop wondering what other shoe might drop. What's in it for him? Who's reallygetting the benefit? Is it one big deposit into the "green karma bank," to hedge against whatever the next controversial move he makes (ANWR, anyone?).

                    On the other hand, if seeing a movie really was enough to convince Bush of the value of preserving the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, someone shouldtake him to see "An Inconvenient Truth."

                    I definitely need to read up on the distinctions between a refuge, sanctuary, monument, and who knows what else. There's definitely a lot of details to iron out, but in broad strokes, this is definitely a big deal.

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                    • #11
                      Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                      That depends. If in the future Bush says he setup the monument to prevent companies from setting up oil drilling platforms, while most of us in Hawaii know that statement is false, the rest of the country may think such a statement is true.

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                      • #12
                        Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                        That "other shoe" we keep thinking will fall may in fact be something like our Congressional delegation agreeing to vote affirmatively on drilling in ANWR in exchange for declaring NWHI a national monument.

                        Or, there might be something that can be read between the lines in this story from today's Washington Post:

                        "..."The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands represent an incredible opportunity to preserve nature much as it was, or has been, for millions of years, because the hand of man has not wreaked the same kind of havoc as we have elsewhere in the world," said Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii), who has lobbied for the designation since he was elected in 2002.

                        The plan had been resisted by local Hawaiian fishing interests that feared losing access to traditional fishing grounds....

                        "...Administration officials declined to comment on the record, but one senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid upstaging the president's announcement, said the plan will end fishing in the area within five years. It will allow Hawaiians to have access to the area for other traditional activities and will include the Midway World War II memorial, a facility that is open for research, education and ecotourism. Visitors wishing to snorkel, dive or take photographs in the area will have to obtain a permit, and no one may take fish, wildlife, corals or minerals from the region....

                        "...The proposal has had a cooler reception from Democratic Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka, who have traditionally been protective of local fishermen, but the administration is relying on a coalition of environmental groups -- headed by the Pew Charitable Trusts -- to raise the money for buying out the fishermen....

                        "...Eight Hawaiians hold permits to fish commercially in the area, targeting red snapper, black grouper and other species. The fishery made a profit of only $300,000 in 2003, and one of the permitted fishermen, Zenen Ozoa, has lobbied to close it on the grounds that it is too environmentally destructive....

                        "...In contrast to the controversies over administration stands on a number of other environmental issues, advocacy groups, activists and Democrats hailed Bush's work on this matter. Case, the Hawaii congressman, said the president "deserves credit" for undertaking "the most revolutionary act by any president, any administration, in terms of marine resources."..."

                        Wanna bet that Case's campaign will make light of the fact that "his" legislation (establishing NWHI as a national sanctuary) being approved by the least ecologically-minded President probably in the history of this country means he's a more effective legislator than Dan Akaka, who has yet to have "his" legislation (the Akaka Bill) passed?

                        Miulang
                        BTW: If you Google "Zenen Ozoa" you come up with some pretty interesting things, like it was he who advocated for closing the NWHI fisheries from further harvests but also to buy out the licenses of the 8 kanaka maoli fishermen (he being one of them) who had valid permits to fish in that area.
                        Last edited by Miulang; June 15, 2006, 05:26 PM.
                        "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                        • #13
                          Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                          There is mention of Bush's interest here.

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                          • #14
                            Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                            Unfortunately, being the cynic that I am, I am more inclined to believe the reason why he rushed this thing through is because his party had more to gain by doing this than they would have if he didn't approve the measure or slowed it down. Plus, because he's not known as the most cerebral and eco-friendly of our Presidents, I bet it was LAURA seeing all those "pretty fishies" in the documentary and telling George that he had to save those "pretty fishies" that did the trick.

                            Miulang

                            P.S. He only knows about perch, large and small mouth bass and sunfish. He's a fresh water fisher, prone to exaggeration about the size of his catches.
                            Last edited by Miulang; June 15, 2006, 07:32 PM.
                            "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                            • #15
                              Re: NW Hawaiian Islands to be off-limits

                              Yeah I'm definitely waiting for the other shoe to drop.... it just seems to good to be true and that just doesn't happen in politics. Someone cut a deal.

                              Originally posted by Miulang
                              Wanna bet that Case's campaign will make light of the fact that "his" legislation (establishing NWHI as a national sanctuary) being approved by the least ecologically-minded President probably in the history of this country means he's a more effective legislator than Dan Akaka, who has yet to have "his" legislation (the Akaka Bill) passed?
                              Well lets face it, results count, Case got something really close to what his bill asked for and Akaka got..... bupkes..... Hell considering how much political capital was frittered away on the Akaka Bill we should have gotten something. Definitely an ineffective Senator. I say give the man his hat and show him the door.

                              Jewlipino

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