Credit where credit is due. In 2006 President Bush turned the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands into Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument, which formed the largest marine wildlife reserve in the world. It looks like he wasn’t done. Bush has just proposed protecting more islands, atolls, reefs, and trenches from fishing and deep sea mining.
His list includes portions of the Northern Mariana Islands, Rose Atoll in American Samoa and various islands and reefs in the Central Pacific, including Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef, Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island, Howland Island, Baker Island, and Wake Island. These areas could become protected as national monuments or marine sanctuaries.