December 31, 2020 — Last Sunday, the president signed a bipartisan government funding bill which included a provision authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that will strengthen protections for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument by starting the process to designate it as a National Marine Sanctuary.
“A new sanctuary designation means more resources and stronger protections for Papahanaumokuakea,” said Sen. Schatz. “This will give us more opportunities to better understand and conserve one of our most important natural resources.”
The Schatz provision directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to commence the process to designate Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as a National Marine Sanctuary. Following this initiation, NOAA can begin public meetings and the formal legal process to complete the requirements to finalize an official designation. Sanctuary status for the Monument would make it more difficult to weaken the protections in the Executive Orders signed by Presidents Obama and Bush.