Schatz: Papahanaumokuakea Deserves Sanctuary Protections
NOAA Begins Process To Consider Sanctuary Designation For Papahanaumokuakea
WASHINGTON – Following an appropriations provision authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) to designate Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as a National Marine Sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today officially began the process for designation. Following this initiation, NOAA will begin public meetings and the formal legal process to complete the requirements to finalize an official designation.
“Papahanaumokuakea is a special place that deserves the strongest protections we can give it,” said Senator Schatz. “Designating the area as a sanctuary will allows its managers, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to better protect its cultural and environmental value while planning for the long term, so future generations of Native Hawaiians and Hawai‘i residents will be able to see Papahanaumokuakea the way we do today.”
Papahanaumokuakea was first established as a marine national monument in 2006. It was expanded by President Obama in 2016 following a formal proposal from Senator Schatz.
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