President George W. Bush is honored by the military in an emotional farewell ceremony at Ft. Myer in Arlington, Virginia, 6 Jan. 2009 President George W. Bush, 6 Jan. 2009 U.S. President George Bush is launching one of the biggest conservation efforts in the world. He is designating large tracts of the Pacific as national monuments – meaning they are protected from commercial fishing, mining and other uses. With just two weeks left in office, the president has taken action to safeguard parts of three remote Pacific island chains that are U.S. possessions. All will be designated as marine national monuments under provisions of the 1906 Antiquities Act, which is used to protect scientific and historical sites. ‘The monuments will prohibit resource destruction or extraction, waste dumping and commercial fishing,’ President Bush said. President Bush says the goal is to keep these delicate ecosystems intact, while gradually opening them up to scientific research and recreation. ‘For sea birds and marine life, they will be sanctuaries to grow and thrive. For scientists, they will be places to expand the frontiers of discovery. And for the American people they will be places that honor our […]