Updated at 3:19 p.m., Friday, December 8, 2006
Lingle signs marine national monument agreement
Advertiser Staff
An agreement to manage and protect the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument was signed today by Gov. Linda Lingle and the secretaries of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Commerce.The agreement establishes co-trustees of the monument and creates a framework for how it will be managed. The goal is to protect the monument's ocean ecosystem while making it possible for visitors to enjoy its remarkable beauty.
Issues that still need to be resolved include public access, the extent of permitted sustenance fishing, and federal funding to manage the monument site.
The monument, the largest protected marine area in the world, was established by President Bush in June.
Lingle, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez signed the agreement at a ceremony in the governor's chambers.
