Posted on 06/15/2006 4:07:28 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
President Bush has created the world's largest marine reserve. Mr. Bush acted to protect an area of the Pacific Ocean that is roughly the size of California.
More than 7,000 species of marine life live in a chain of reefs and shoals stretching nearly 2,000 kilometers northwest from the Hawaiian Islands.
That ecosystem is now a protected marine area where commercial and sport fishing will be phased out over the next five years. Visitors wishing to dive or take photographs must have a permit and no one will be allowed to remove animals or minerals.
President Bush says the move protects a precious natural resource and establishes an important place for research and learning.
"The oceans contain countless natural treasures," he said. "They carry much of our trade. They provide food and recreation for billions of people. We have a responsibility, a solemn responsibility, to be good stewards of the oceans and creatures who inhabit them."
The islands include endangered Hawaiian monk seals and threatened green sea turtles as well as a rookery for 14 million seabirds.
At more than 300,000 square kilometers, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument is slightly larger than Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, making it the world's biggest protected marine area.
It includes the World War II memorial on Midway Island, which will remain open for research and education programs.
President Theodore Roosevelt established a bird sanctuary on some of the islands in 1909. President Bill Clinton created a coral-reef ecosystem reserve in the area six years ago. By exercising executive powers to declare the islands a national monument, President Bush avoided what would have been a year-long review process to make the area a less-protected national marine sanctuary.
"He's looking for OIL!!! Baah, we see the true plan! Can't fool us Bushy!!!"
Am I close?
Bush Creates World's Largest Marine Reserve
Ooooorah!!!! What?
PACIFIC OCEAN?????
Here I thought he was raising the Reserve enlistment age
to 62!!!!!!
Oo-rah!
[puts on his bifocals]
Oh, wait... Never mind.
Ummm, those people cannot be made happy. He could have announced a 1 trillion program to turn CA cities back into a pristine nature preserve and they'd say it's not enough.
[Typical House democrat response ...] "Bush Creates World's Largest Marine Reserve? Why that lying president is just creating more republican votes by having more reserve Marines to ... Oh, this is a coral reserve off the Hawaiian Islands? Nevermind. But he's still pushin' war just to get votes."
I was lurking and the DUers are shocked at this - they approve of it surprisingly but a few say that's because he found out there is no oil there yada yada yada.
Maybe one or two DUers will quit drinking the kool-aid.
I'm wondering more what the charter, party and fishingboat captains and crews are going to say, now that thy're going to be out of work.
Be prepared to pay more for fish.
???????????????
This is actually good. Announce monuments, exec order, whatever - make news and get others to respond to it. Every week he should be pushing something out there. Clinton did it constantly. Generating spam news is a helpful technique if in parallel real policies are getting pushed also.
"That ecosystem is now a protected marine area where commercial and sport fishing will be phased out over the next five years. Visitors wishing to dive or take photographs must have a permit and no one will be allowed to remove animals or minerals."
And this is good news how?
W
Wow, you guys are eerie!
Presently the largest Marine reserve is in Iraq.
Please cite the section in the Constitution authorizing the President authority over Federal lands, waters, and territories. Here's what mine says:
... and because Clinton did this sort of stuff it it is good? Please explain you logic. This move may have merit as fishing outside the controlled area may be greatly improved, but this smells very bad and explaining it as a Clintonistic maneuver hardly makes me feel better about the true colors of W.
Isn't this in INTERNATIONAL WATERS? How does the USA have authority over it.
He is just speaking from a PR perspective I am sure...not a pat on Clinton's back. No matter how you look at it..Clinton's PR machine was well oiled at all times...unlike this White House's which has been absent since Ari left and only been back in good form since Snow took over a few weeks ago.
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