Take Action: Endangered Monk Seals and Sea Turtles Need Safe Beaches

Approximately 140 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands is one of the last remaining places that provides safe habitat for endangered Hawaiian monk seals and threatened green sea turtles to recover and thrive.

The more than 500,000 square miles of islands, reefs, and ocean waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument are so crucial for the recovery and survival of at-risk species that the federal government is considering strengthening protections for this irreplaceable habitat. Please take action in support of designating Papahānaumokuākea as a national marine sanctuary to strengthen protections for its marine wildlife.

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National Wildlife Federation

To the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

I am writing to voice my support for the designation of marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the Monument Expansion Area (collectively called the Monument) as a national marine sanctuary. The proposed sanctuary area extends 1,200 miles across the northwestern region of the Hawaiian archipelago, starting approximately 140 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands, and roughly 3,000 miles from the nearest continental land mass. This vast ecosystem is one of the largest wild, pristine marine protected areas in the world, encompassing 582,578 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The monument protects traditional Hawaiian habitation sites, heiau (temples), ko‘a (fishing grounds and shrines), culturally significant species such as sharks, sea turtles, and other ‘aumākua (ancestral family gods), and the flight paths and foraging habitat of seabirds essential to traditional navigators during ocean voyaging by canoe. The addition of the national marine sanctuary would provide important regulatory and management tools to strengthen existing protections for Papahānaumokuākea ecosystems, wildlife, and cultural and maritime heritage resources.

I urge that NOAA act swiftly to designate the new sanctuary by finalizing and approving the associated draft environmental impact statement (EIS) (Alternative 1) and draft sanctuary management plan that are currently out for public comment. Specifically, this proposed action and National Marine Sanctuary Designation would:

-	Maximize benefits for the largest proposed sanctuary of the three alternatives that NOAA is evaluating.
-	Protect this coral reef ecosystem that is a global marine biodiversity hotspot, providing essential habitats for rare species such as the threatened green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the Hawaiian humpback whale, sharks, millions of seabirds, and others. Many species in the area are found nowhere else in the world.
-	Provide comprehensive and coordinated management of the marine areas of Papahānaumokuākea to protect nationally significant biological, cultural, and historical resources.
-	Enhance management of the proposed sanctuary by having a Native Hawaiian program specialist on staff and the sanctuary advisory council including Native Hawaiian seats, and outreach to the Native Hawaiian Community.

Thank you for doing all that you can to ensure maximum protections for this national Hawaiian treasure for fish, wildlife, Pacific Island communities, and those who love this area, now and into the future.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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