WEBVTT

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(mysterious intro music)

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(sound of waves crashing)

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(drum music)

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(sound of waves crashing)

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<v Narrator 1>This is one of the last wild places on Earth.</v>

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1200 miles of ocean wilderness in our own backyard.

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Larger than all our national parks put together filled with

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priceless treasures.

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Safe Haven for corals, fish, Honu, monk seals, dolphins,

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and seabirds.

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Northern most site of ancient Hawaiian culture celebrated in

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chants and stories.

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These are the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

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(soft instrumental music)

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<v Narrator 2>These are the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.</v>

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Their under sea forests and mountain ranges comprise the

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largest remote reef system in the world.

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This archipelago is home to thousands of unique plants and

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animals.

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One quarter of which are found nowhere else on earth.

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The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been accorded

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The nation's highest form of marine environmental

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protection.

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They are the largest single area dedicated to conservation

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in the history of our country.

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<v Narrator 1>Visits to these islands</v>

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(background Hawaiian chant)

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by native Hawaiians,

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for cultural and spiritual practices continue today.

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<v Nainoa Thompson>This community effort is about</v>

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making sure people know how special and how important

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those islands are from a cultural

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and an ecological point of view and why we need to protect

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them.

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We say those islands are kūpuna.

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We say those islands are sacred and we mean it,

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all of this to me, boils down to protecting what we,

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what we love and what we care for and making sure we act on

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it in a way in which is we believe is right for not just the

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islands, but for humanity.

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(instrumental music)

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<v Narrator 2>For almost a century.</v>

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The United States government has considered it vital to

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protect the fragile beauty and priceless treasures of the

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Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

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In 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt

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signed an executive order to

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create the Hawaiian Islands Reservation.

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At the turn of the 21st century,

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the government turned its attention to dwindling coral reefs

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and took action to protect them.

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The U.S coral reef task force was formed in 1998 and the

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Northwestern Hawaiian Islands with its vast expanse of

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healthy reefs, drew renewed interest.

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In 2000, President Bill Clinton created

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the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

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Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve.

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Hawaiʻi governor, Linda Lingle, signed regulations in 2005,

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establishing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands state waters

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as a marine refuge.

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And then on June 15th, 2006,

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the most significant and far reaching action took place.

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President Bush signed a proclamation,

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creating the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

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Marine National Monument.

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<v ->The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are a beautiful and</v>

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special place. Our duty is to use the land and seas wisely,

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or sometimes not use them at all.

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The national monument we're establishing today covers nearly

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140,000 square miles larger than 46 of our 50 states,

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itʻs a big deal.

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(applause)

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(instrumental music)

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<v Narrator 1>As a national marine monument,</v>

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the fragile lands and waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian

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Islands are protected by strong regulations

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and enforcement tools.

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Six principles guide and direct these protections.

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The national monument preserves access for native Hawaiian

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cultural activities.

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It provides for carefully regulated educational and

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scientific activities.

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It will enhance visitation in a special area

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around Midway Atoll.

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It prohibits unauthorized access.

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It will phase out commercial fishing over a five-year period

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and it bans the extraction of resources and the dumping of

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waste.

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(instrumental music)

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<v Narrator 2>The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service with the</v>

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

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are charged to work with the

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State of Hawaiʻi and the public to manage the monument.

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It's an example of cooperative conservation,

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the best way to protect the environment we all share.

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<v Narrator 1>The Northwestern Hawaiian islands</v>

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are filled with living wonders.

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They are places of fragile, irreplaceable beauty.

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Native Hawaiian culture and history

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are integrally connected to them.

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<v Narrator 2>And they're the largest protected</v>

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marine area in the world.

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More than 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park.

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This national monument honors our nation's commitment to the

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world to be good stewards of Earth's natural resources.

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<v Narrator 1>It safeguards the environment around us</v>

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for ourselves, our children, and all future generations.

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(drum music)