The unique islands and atolls of the NWHI, due to their isolation, are reserves for ecosystem diversity, and the intelligent management of their natural resources is of critical concern. The NWHI also possess a rich maritime history and special non-renewable resources…submerged maritime heritage resources, such as shipwrecks, sunken aircraft, and other archaeological sites. Such historic sites are like windows into the past. There may be as many as 60 vessels known lost among the atolls and at least 67 naval aircraft sunk in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but who knows how many more have yet to be discovered.
Shipwrecks in the NWHI have been a well-known phenonmenon for many years. In 1915 the Reverend J.M. Lydgate, in his opening remarks to “Wrecks to the North-west,” summarized the hazardous nature of the atoll environment:
The islands and reefs to the northwest of Hawaii have been a veritable graveyard of marine disaster. The two sufficient reasons for this have been, first, the low, inconspicuous character of the islands, and, second, the faulty or insufficient location of them on the marine charts. The menace of the iceberg is the fact that it lies seven-eighths underwater and you strike some submerged, protruding spur of it before you dream of danger. In a much more disastrous way the same thing is true of many of these islands.
--Reverend J.M. Lydgate, 1915
NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase the public awareness of America’s maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring, exploration and educational programs. This heritage component is supported by the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 USC 1431) which states: “…a federal program which establishes areas of the marine environment which have special conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, cultural, archeological, scientific, educational, or esthetic qualities as national marine sanctuaries managed as the National Marine Sanctuary System.”
Today, 13 national marine sanctuaries encompass more than 18,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes natural and cultural resources. NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program, created in 2002, is an initiative of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP). The program focuses on maritime heritage resources within the thirteen designated National Marine Sanctuaries, and also promotes maritime heritage appreciation throughout the entire nation.
Maritime heritage is a broad legacy that includes not only physical resources, such as historic shipwrecks and prehistoric archaeological sites, but also archival documents, oral histories, and traditional seafaring and ecological knowledge of indigenous cultures. The vision of the Maritime Heritage Program is that a broad spectrum of Americans will be engaged in the stewardship and appreciation of our national maritime heritage.
As with natural resources, numerous user and interest groups, from archaeologists to recreational divers, seek to interact with maritime heritage resources in many different ways (exploration, photography, excavation, etc.). These resources also are impacted by natural factors such as storms, currents and corrosion. Therefore, responsible, informed decisions must be made on how to manage these resources for the enjoyment and appreciation of current and future generations. Maritime heritage resources, unlike living resources, are nonrenewable, so it is especially important that we protect these important links to our past.
Maritime heritage resources, when properly studied and interpreted, add an important dimension to our understanding and appreciation of our nation’s rich maritime legacy, and make us more aware of the critical need for us to be wise stewards of our ocean planet.
STEWARDSHIP AUTHORITY
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is legally responsible for the management of maritime heritage resources within sanctuary boundaries. Congress directs NOAA, through the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (link this) to comply with the Federal Archaeological Program (FAP). This is the collection of laws and regulations that pertain to the protection of historical and archaeological properties on federal and federally managed lands. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to, “…designate and manage areas of the marine environment with special national significance due to their conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, scientific, cultural, archaeological, educational or esthetic qualities as National Marine Sanctuaries.
The law most relevant to the National Marine Sanctuary Program is the National Historic Preservation Act, which directs all federal agencies to develop programs to protect historical and archaeological resources.
Section 106 requires agencies to consider the potential impacts of their actions, which includes the review of permit applications for projects that may allow the disturbance of the seabed, where archaeological remains may lie.
Section 110 requires agencies to actively search for archaeological resources and to assess them for their significance and eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places..
