Don't Bomb the Monument

CALL TO ACTION: March 4, 2008 Navy Range Expansion Threatens the NWHI! Take Action Now!! The U.S Navy is proposing to expand its military training range across the entire Hawaiian Archipelago, this includes the highly protected Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) State Marine Refuge, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Monument, and the Pacific Humpback Whale Sanctuary. Their expansion plans call for ballistic missile interceptions over Nihoa and Mokumanamana in the NWHI, live-fire training on ranges contaminated with depleted uranium, and increased use of high-intensive active sonar in Hawaiian waters. Both the state and federal governments have acknowledged the need to protect the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by establishing the first-ever state marine refuge and first-ever marine national monument there. The visionary protections for this place were established after overwhelming public input and support for setting this place aside as a true pu‘uhonua for the delicate coral reefs, many endangered species, and extreme cultural significance. While the federal government has never really demonstrated a commitment to implementing the public's vision, Hawai‘i's local officials have successfully established a "do no harm" refuge in the state waters of the NWHI. With continued public support, Hawai‘i can continue to lead the way in protecting one of the most important marine ecosystems in the world. Today, we have a powerful opportunity to influence the terms of the Navy's proposed range expansion in the Hawaiian Islands. A federal law called the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) empowers states to protect their coastal resources by requiring federal agencies to abide by state coastal protections. In Hawai‘i, the coastal protection regulations reflect the common understanding that the oceans are part of a system that runs mauka to makai. Thus, all activities from the top of the mountain down to the reefs are considered in management and protection of our coastal resources. Right now, the staff at Hawai‘i's CZM Program is assessing whether the Navy's proposal is consistent with Hawaii's coastal protections. They are accepting public comments through March 24, 2008. Through this process, the public can impose broad limitations on the Navy's activities that may harm our health and environment. Simultaneously, the Navy is holding public hearings on a new Environmental Impact Statement for its range expansion. These new hearings were required by the National Marine Fisheries Service because the Navy did not use the best available science to assess the impact of  high-intensity active sonar in Hawaiian waters. Public hearings will be held on four islands between March 13th and 18th. Click here to find out about hearings in your area. Together, we can help the state stand up for what is best for Hawaii. Your input is needed to protect Hawaii and ensure that the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands do not become the next Kaho‘olawe. Click here to learn more. Please Sign to Protect Hawai'i Below is a form letter to Hawai'i's Coastal Zone Management Program asking them to impose meaningful mitigations on the Navy's activities to ensure our health and environment are protected.  Please fill-in your name and send it now.  And if can, add a few words of your own so that our local decision-makers know how important it is to you that we protect Hawai'i nei from the harms of naval activities.   Below the request for your name is an easier to read version of the form letter. >>Learn More

February 10, 2010 Subject: Aloha Mr. Nakagawa The U.S. Navy's proposal to establish a live-fire training range encompassing the entire Hawaiian Archipelago, including the highly protected Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Refuge, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary, poses serious threats to the welfare of Hawaii's unique natural and cultural resources. The federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) empowers states to protect their coastal resources from harm by requiring that federal activities affecting the coast be consistent with state laws protecting coastal zones. Hawaii's Coastal Zone Management Program is obligated to protect our unique natural and cultural resources by ensuring that the Navy's activities are proven to be safe for Hawaii's people and consistent with Hawai'i's laws. As currently drafted the Navy's proposal is NOT consistent with Hawaii's efforts to protect our unique coastal resources. The Navy is proposing to dramatically increase and expand its training activities near Hawaii, including significant increases in live-fire bombing exercises, expanded use of high-intensity active sonar, and ballistic missile interceptions over the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. To be consistent with Hawaii's coastal protections, the U.S. Navy must adopt meaningful mitigations for its activities. Meaningful Mitigations Must Include: 1. STATE INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT FOR HARM TO ENDANGERED SPECIES The Navy admits that its activities will harm threatened and endangered species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, including the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal and Pacific Humpback Whale. In total, the Navy expects its range expansion will kill 26 species of marine mammals, 7 of which are protected by the federal ESA. Hawaii state law, implemented through the CZMA, requires the Navy to acquire a state incidental take permit for harm to these species and to implement a plan "designed to result in an overall net gain in the recovery of Hawaii's threatened and endangered species." Hawaii Revised Statutes §195D. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST THE SPREAD OF CONTAMINANTS AND POLLUTION The Navy's proposed expansion includes live-fire training exercises that will introduce new contaminants into our environment or cause current contamination to spread. Objective six of Hawaii's CZMA regulations require the Department to prevent the spread of coastal pollution. Therefore, the Navy's activities must be limited to prevent the spread of pollution. This should include: - prohibit the proposal to use chemicals in ballistic missile tests that simulate chemical and biological warfare. - prohibit live-fire training - prohibit activities at sites known or suspected to be contaminated with depleted uranium to prevent the spread of the contamination, including Pohakualoa and Makua Valley. 3. PROHIBITION ON ACTIVITIES THAT MAY AFFECT THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS STATE REFUGE AND THE PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA MARINE MONUMENT The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to rare and endangered species and serve as a nursery for fishery stocks in the Main Hawaiian Islands. These islands are also of extreme historical and cultural significance to Native Hawaiians, as a place of religious sanctity, intact cultural features, and renewed customary practices. Both the state and federal governments acknowledge the importance of protecting this fragile, unique marine ecosystem and rare cultural landscape by establishing the first-ever state marine refuge and first-ever national marine monument. The Navy's current proposal will extend harmful military activities to this, the most highly protected marine ecosystem in the world. The state and federal governments have accepted responsibility for managing this ecosystem as a whole, across jurisdictional boundaries. Under this co-management regime, the state's kuleana to protect the nearshore waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands includes the federal waters extending 50 miles from shore. To be consistent with Hawaii's commitment to protect the entire Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ecosystem, the Navy's activities in this area must be strictly limited. This includes: - prohibit the testing of ballistic missiles over the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - prohibit the use of high-intensity active sonar in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - prohibit any military maneuvers in and around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - require the clean up of any military debris that entires the Northwestern Hawaiians Islands State Refuge or Federal Monument 4. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF HIGH-INTENSITY ACTIVE SONAR The Navy's proposed range expansion includes a significant increase in the use of "high-intensity active sonar." Indeed, this controversial technology is the subject of considerable litigation throughout the United States. Because the Navy's active sonar has already harmed Hawaii's marine environment, the proposal to increase its use must be considered with extreme caution. The CZM program should require the Navy to abide by ALL of the most protective measures designed to mitigate the harm inherent to active sonar. These measures have been developed over an extended period of time and circumstances, and include mitigations imposed by several different federal courts, international agencies, and foreign governments. In addition, the use of active sonar should be prohibited in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary, and any location where marine mammals are known to frequent. 5. FULL PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF NAVAL ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS The Navy's proposal to expand military activities in the Hawaiian Islands jeopardizes Hawaii's public trust resources and public health. To ensure that the strongest possible protections are implemented, the Navy must disclose all of its activities with the public. Moreover, Hawaii's coastal zone management regulations require that the department promote public participation in the protection of our coastal resources. The public cannot participate in the protection of our coastal resources without transparency and accountability from the responsible agencies. To this end, the Navy must: - announce all training activities prior to commencement - document all activities in and around the Hawaiian Islands in After Action Reports released to the public within 30 days of the activity. Mahalo. We will add your signature from the information you provide.		First Name* Last Name* Email* Street* Street 2 City* State/Province* Select a state Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. 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Content of the Sign-On Letter Above: "The U.S. Navy's proposal to establish a live-fire training range encompassing the entire Hawaiian Archipelago, including the highly protected Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Refuge, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary, poses serious threats to the welfare of Hawaii's unique natural and cultural resources. The federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) empowers states to protect their coastal resources from harm by requiring that federal activities affecting the coast be consistent with state laws protecting coastal zones.  Hawaii's Coastal Zone Management Program is obligated to protect our unique natural and cultural resources by ensuring that the Navy's activities are proven to be safe for Hawaii's people and consistent with Hawai'i's laws. As currently drafted the Navy's proposal is NOT consistent with Hawaii's efforts to protect our unique coastal resources.  The Navy is proposing to dramatically increase and expand its training activities near Hawaii, including significant increases in live-fire bombing exercises, expanded use of high-intensity active sonar, and ballistic missile interceptions over the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.  To be consistent with Hawaii's coastal protections, the U.S. Navy must adopt meaningful mitigations for its activities. Meaningful Mitigations Must Include: 1. STATE INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT FOR HARM TO ENDANGERED SPECIES  The Navy admits that its activities will harm threatened and endangered species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, including the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal and Pacific Humpback Whale.  In total, the Navy expects its range expansion will kill 26 species of marine mammals, 7 of which are protected by the federal ESA.  Hawaii state law, implemented through the CZMA, requires the Navy to acquire a state incidental take permit for harm to these species and to implement a plan "designed to result in an overall net gain in the recovery of Hawaii's threatened and endangered species." Hawaii Revised Statutes §195D. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST THE SPREAD OF CONTAMINANTS AND POLLUTION The Navy's proposed expansion includes live-fire training exercises that will introduce new contaminants into our environment or cause current contamination to spread.  Objective six of Hawaii's CZMA regulations require the Department to prevent the spread of coastal pollution.  Therefore, the Navy's activities must be limited to prevent the spread of pollution.  This should include: - prohibit the proposal to use chemicals in ballistic missile tests that simulate chemical and biological warfare. - prohibit live-fire training - prohibit activities at sites known or suspected to be contaminated with depleted uranium to prevent the spread of the contamination, including Pohakualoa and Makua Valley. 3. PROHIBITION ON ACTIVITIES THAT MAY AFFECT THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS STATE REFUGE AND THE PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA MARINE MONUMENT The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to rare and endangered species and serve as a nursery for fishery stocks in the Main Hawaiian Islands.  These islands are also of extreme historical and cultural significance to Native Hawaiians, as a place of religious sanctity, intact cultural features, and renewed customary practices.  Both the state and federal governments acknowledge the importance of protecting this fragile, unique marine ecosystem and rare cultural landscape by establishing the first-ever state marine refuge and first-ever national marine monument.  The Navy's current proposal will extend harmful military activities to this, the most highly protected marine ecosystem in the world.  The state and federal governments have accepted responsibility for managing this ecosystem as a whole, across jurisdictional boundaries. Under this co-management regime, the state's kuleana to protect the nearshore waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands includes the federal waters extending 50 miles from shore.  To be consistent with Hawaii's commitment to protect the entire Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ecosystem, the Navy's activities in this area must be strictly limited.  This includes: - prohibit the testing of ballistic missiles over the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - prohibit the use of high-intensity active sonar in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - prohibit any military maneuvers in and around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - require the clean up of any military debris that entires the Northwestern Hawaiians Islands State Refuge or Federal Monument 4. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF HIGH-INTENSITY ACTIVE SONAR The Navy's proposed range expansion includes a significant increase in the use of "high-intensity active sonar."  Indeed, this controversial technology is the subject of considerable litigation throughout the United States.  Because the Navy's active sonar has already harmed Hawaii's marine environment, the proposal to increase its use must be considered with extreme caution. The CZM program should require the Navy to abide by ALL of the most protective measures designed to mitigate the harm inherent to active sonar.  These measures have been developed over an extended period of time and circumstances, and include mitigations imposed by several different federal courts, international agencies, and foreign governments.  In addition, the use of active sonar should be prohibited in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary, and any location where marine mammals are known to frequent. 5. FULL PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF NAVAL ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS The Navy's proposal to expand military activities in the Hawaiian Islands jeopardizes Hawaii's public trust resources and public health.  To ensure that the strongest possible protections are implemented, the Navy must disclose all of its activities with the public. Moreover, Hawaii's coastal zone management regulations require that the department promote public participation in the protection of our coastal resources.  The public cannot participate in the protection of our coastal resources without transparency and accountability from the responsible agencies.  To this end, the Navy must: - announce all training activities prior to commencement - document all activities in and around the Hawaiian Islands in After Action Reports released to the public within 30 days of the  activity. Mahalo."