Plan drafted for managing Hawaii marine monument
Associated Press
State and federal agencies have drafted a plan for managing the newly created Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
It vows to protect, conserve and — where feasible — restore wildlife and their habitats.
The plan calls for reducing threats from invasive species, marine debris and grounded vessels.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources developed the plan with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
They collaborated with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
President Bush made way for the protections by naming the 140,000-square-mile island chain in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument in 2006.
The plan can be found at Hawai'i public libraries and online at www.papahanaumokuakea.gov.
