ExecutiveOrdersEO
Proc 8327ProclamationG.W. Bush · R

Proclamation 8327

Establishment of the World War II Valor In the Pacific National Monument

President George W. Bush established the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument under the Antiquities Act, designating approximately 6,310 acres across nine historic sites in Hawaii, Alaska, and California to commemorate the Pacific theater of World War II. The proclamation withdraws federal lands from development and directs the Secretary of the Interior to manage the monument through the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with a management plan due within three years.

Federal Register Open PDF 73 FR 75293

Impact dates

  1. Secretary of Interior must prepare management plan in consultation with Secretary of Defense

Key directives

  • Establish World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument on approximately 6,310 acres of federal land
  • Withdraw all federal lands within monument boundaries from public land laws, mining laws, and mineral/geothermal leasing
  • Secretary of Interior to manage monument through National Park Service (general administration) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (refuge portions)
  • Secretary of Interior to prepare management plan within 3 years in consultation with Secretary of Defense
  • Secretary of Interior responsible for maintaining and repairing Chief Petty Officer Bungalows and other Hawaii facilities
  • Department of Defense may retain authority to control access to Hawaii sites
  • Armed Forces activities exempted from prohibitions but must avoid adverse impacts to extent practicable
  • DOD components must coordinate with Secretary of Interior to mitigate harm from spills, groundings, or other incidents affecting monument resources

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Federal lands withdrawn from entry, location, selection, sale, leasing, or other disposition under public land laws
  • National Monument established with boundaries defined on accompanying maps
  • Department of Defense retains control of USS ARIZONA and USS UTAH as final resting places

Near term (90d)

  • Secretary of the Interior to begin management through NPS and USFWS
  • Potential interagency agreements between Interior and Navy on operational responsibilities

Long term

  • Management plan due within 3 years of December 5, 2008 (by December 5, 2011)
  • Ongoing preservation and interpretation of monument sites
  • Continued research and public education programs

Risks & tensions

  • Potential operational friction between NPS management and DOD control over access to Pearl Harbor sites
  • USFWS and NPS jurisdictional boundaries within refuge areas may require negotiation
  • Management plan deadline (3 years) is relatively long, creating uncertainty about interim protections
  • Armed Forces exemption creates tension between military readiness and monument preservation goals
  • Tule Lake inclusion acknowledges Japanese-American internment, which may generate political sensitivity around narrative framing
  • 'To the extent practicable' qualifier on military impact avoidance leaves substantial discretion
Proclamation 8327: Establishment of the World War II Valor In the Pacific National Monument · Executive Orders