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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This is one of the last wild places on Earth.
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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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These are the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
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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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Visits to these islands
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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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This community effort is about
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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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For almost a century.
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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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The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are a beautiful and
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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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As a national marine monument,
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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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The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service with the
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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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The Northwestern Hawaiian islands
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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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And they're the largest protected
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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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It safeguards the environment around us
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for ourselves, our children, and all future generations.
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(drum music)