A great day for Earth

This is a great day for the planet. On Tuesday, Jan. 6, President George W. Bush cemented his legacy forever as the “Ocean President” by declaring three areas to be designated as marine monuments: The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, and the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument.

I would like to thank the following environmental superheroes for making the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument a reality: The Friends of the Monument; the 6,000 concerned citizens of the CNMI who signed the petition in support of the marine monument; the 206 businesses that supported the monument; the 50 letters to President Bush; the Governor, Speaker, and Senate President of the CNMI for working with Connaughton of the CEQ to hammer out the details of the monument; the Chamber of Commerce, HANMI, and Tan Holdings for their support; and the Hopwood High School and NMC students who debated, wrote letters, studied the issues and made presentations on the proposed marine monument in their classes.

Here is what we get, direct from the language of the declaration:

1. Management of the Islands Unit of the monument, in consultation with the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including designation of specific roles and responsibilities and the means of consultation on management decisions as appropriate, without affecting the respective authorities or jurisdictions of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or the Secretaries of the Interior or of Commerce;

2. Public education programs and public outreach regarding the coral reef ecosystem and related marine resources and species of the monument and efforts to conserve them;

3. Traditional access by indigenous persons, as identified by the Secretaries in consultation with the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, for culturally significant subsistence, cultural and religious uses within the monument;

4. A program to assess and promote monument-related scientific exploration and research, tourism, and recreational and economic activities and opportunities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

5. A process to consider requests for recreational fishing permits in certain areas of the Islands Unit, based on an analysis of the likely effects of such fishing on the marine ecosystems of these areas, sound professional judgment that such fishing will not materially interfere with or detract from the fulfillment of the purposes of this proclamation, and the extent to which such recreational fishing shall be managed as a sustainable activity consistent with Executive Order 12962, as amended, and other applicable law; and

6. Programs for monitoring and enforcement necessary to ensure that scientific exploration and research, tourism, and recreational and commercial activities do not degrade the monument’s coral reef ecosystem or related marine resources or species or diminish the monument’s natural character.

For the President’s speech and the complete text of the declaration, go to Angelo Villagomez’s blog: http://jetapplicant.blogspot.com/2009/01/george-w-bush-on-marianas-archipelago.html

This multiple marine monument declaration is a win for the planet and its marine life, and for the people of the world and the CNMI. Moreover, we will get a visitors center, a boat, a plane, jobs, an economic boost, research, educational opportunities, and positive global recognition. How can you beat that to start off the new year in a great way?
[B] Ken Kramer[/B] [I]Gualo Rai, Saipan[/I]