Following the White House’s Mar. 21 announcement on President Biden’s direction for Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo to consider initiating a national marine sanctuary designation within 30 days that would expand protections around the Pacific Remote Islands in an action that would conserve 777,000 square miles (including the existing ~495,000 square mile Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument), the President today issued a Presidential Memorandum formally providing such direction.
Commenting on the announcement, Sec. Raimondo said that “[f]ulfilling our bold conservation goals” is a priority and that “expanding protections for the Pacific Remote Islands would create the largest protected ocean area on the planet.”
NOAA will issue a Notice of Intent by Apr. 23 to initiate the public scoping process to initiate the designation process.
