“Today’s Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument designation is a huge victory for those of us who have been fighting for more than a decade to protect this unique ecosystem.  It is part and parcel of our efforts to protect Hawaii’s unique marine ecosystems, notably including the establishment of the Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary.

“Looking back to my efforts during the Clinton Administration to protect the area’s coral reefs, I recall a fight we fought virtually alone.  Now our work is moving forward significantly with National Monument status. 

“Any time we can sharpen the focus and offer additional protections is an occasion for celebration.  The challenge now is to consolidate this latest victory.

“The isolation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands presents unique challenges for protection and enforcement.  It will take real effort to make sure the resources are available to do the job.  National Monument designation can be a fragile thing, and Congress has undone presidential Monument orders in the past. 

“I will be looking at legislative options to strengthen protection for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, assuring their permanency and guaranteeing a funding stream for the agencies responsible for enforcement and protection.  One option is to overlay the National Monument designation with an additional layer of protective status.

“It’s important that we not sit back and think this is the end of the story.  There’s still a lot of work to be done before the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have protection fully in place.  I remain committed to building on today’s progress until we achieve that goal.”

-30-