for

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge,

the Battle of Midway National Memorial,

and the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Marine National Monument’s

Midway Atoll Special Management Area

Draft Interim

Visitor Services Plan

Ann Bell/USFWS

December 2006
Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan 

for 

 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

and the 

Battle of Midway National Memorial 

and the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument’s 

Midway Atoll Special Management Area 

December 8, 2006 

Prepared by: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and 

Pacific Islands Division of External Affairs and Visitor Services 

Box 50167 

Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 

in consultation with the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

and the 

State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources 

Approved: ______________________________________________ Date: _______________ 

 Regional Director 

 Pacific Region, Portland, Oregon 
ii Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Battle of Midway National Memorial, 

and Midway Atoll Special Management Area 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan 

Approval Submission 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region 

In accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as 

amended, (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) and Fish and Wildlife Service Manual Section 605, this 

visitor services plan has been prepared for Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the Battle 

of Midway National Memorial. During the course of preparation of this plan, on June 15, 2006, 

the President established by Proclamation (Proclamation 8031) the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine National Monument (monument). Proclamation 8031 required the preparation of 

a comprehensive management plan for the entire monument area. Within the monument, 

Proclamation 8031 established the Midway Atoll Special Management Area. This visitor 

services plan is intended to guide a visitor services program at Midway Atoll in the interim until 

such time as this plan is incorporated into the comprehensive monument management plan. This 

interim visitor services plan is compliant with Presidential Proclamation 8031, and was prepared 

in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce by Honolulu-based National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration staff and the State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural 

Resources. This visitor services plan is submitted for approval by the Regional Director for the 

Pacific Region. 

Submitted by: 

___________________________________________ ______________________________ 

Barry Christenson, Refuge Manager Date 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and 

Battle of Midway National Memorial 

Concur: 

___________________________________________ ______________________________ 

Barry W. Stieglitz, Project Leader Date 

Hawaiian and Pacific Islands 

 National Wildlife Refuge Complex and 

 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument 

Concur: 

______________________________________________ ______________________________ 

Carolyn Bohan, Regional Chief Date 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Pacific Region 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge iii 

December 4, 2006

Table of Contents 

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Introduction and Background............................................................................... 1

1.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1

1.2 Human History ..........................................................................................................................1

1.3 Monument and Refuge History ................................................................................................2

1.3.1 Establishment of the Refuge, Memorial, and Monument ......................................................................2

1.3.2 Refuge Vision and Management Goals .................................................................................................3

1.4 Purpose and Need for the Visitor Services Plan .....................................................................4

1.5 Legal and Policy Guidance .......................................................................................................5

1.5.1 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument................................................................5

1.5.2 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .......................................................................................................7

1.5.3 National Wildlife Refuge System ..........................................................................................................7

1.5.4 Biological Resource Protection Acts .....................................................................................................9

1.5.5 Historic Preservation Acts ...................................................................................................................11

1.5.6 Specific Legal Mandates for Midway Atoll.........................................................................................13

1.6 Internal/External Issues..........................................................................................................13

1.7 Local Setting.............................................................................................................................14

1.7.1 Community Description.......................................................................................................................14

1.7.2 Travel Links.........................................................................................................................................15

1.7.3 Visitor Services Opportunities (Beyond Midway)...............................................................................16

Chapter 2 Significant Features............................................................................................. 17

2.1 Terrestrial Resources ..............................................................................................................17

2.2 Marine Resources ....................................................................................................................17

2.3 Historic Resources ...................................................................................................................19

2.3.1 Early Cultural Resources Investigations..............................................................................................19

2.3.2 Programmatic Agreement and Treatment of Midway’s Historic Properties........................................19

2.3.3 Historic Preservation Plan ...................................................................................................................20

Chapter 3 Limitations on the Visitor Program .................................................................... 21

3.1 Visitor Access ...........................................................................................................................21

3.2 Visitor Capacity and Scheduling............................................................................................24

3.3 Monitoring Visitor Impacts ....................................................................................................25

3.4 Midway Atoll Law Enforcement Activities ...........................................................................25

Chapter 4 Visitor Services Standards ................................................................................... 27

4.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................27

4.2 Welcome and Orient Visitors .................................................................................................29

4.3 Provide Quality Hunting Opportunities................................................................................34

4.4 Provide Quality Fishing Opportunities .................................................................................34
iv Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006

4.5 Provide Quality Wildlife Observation and Photographic Opportunities...........................35

4.6 Develop and Implement Quality Environmental Education Programs .............................38

4.7 Provide Quality Interpretation of Key Resources ................................................................40

4.8 Manage for Other Recreational Use Opportunities .............................................................44

4.9 Communicate Key Issues with Off-Site Audiences...............................................................45

4.10 Build Volunteer Programs and Partnerships with Midway Atoll Support Groups..........47

4.11 Refuge Law Enforcement .......................................................................................................50

4.12 Concession Operations............................................................................................................50

4.13 Fee Programs ...........................................................................................................................50

4.14 Permitting.................................................................................................................................51

4.15 Cooperating Association/Friends Groups .............................................................................55

Chapter 5 Implementing the Plan......................................................................................... 57

5.1 Proposed Staffing.....................................................................................................................57

5.2 Table of Projects ......................................................................................................................57

5.3 Partnership Funding and Resources......................................................................................59

Appendices........................................................................................................................................ 

Appendix A Glossary of Terms ........................................................................................................A-1

Appendix B Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Program Market Analysis and 

Feasibility Study, Conclusions and Recommendations................................................................... B-1

Appendix C Presidential Proclamation 8031 – Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine National Monument.................................................................................................C-1

Appendix D Programmatic Agreement Among the Pacific Division, Naval Facilities Engineering 

Command, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service..................................................................................................................................................D-1

Appendix E Midway Atoll Cruise Ship Requirements................................................................... E-1

Appendix F Compatibility Determinations..................................................................................... F-1

Appendix F.1 Wildlife Observation and Photography................................................................................. F.1-1

Appendix F.2 Environmental Education and Interpretation......................................................................... F.2-1

Appendix F.3 Participatory Research........................................................................................................... F.3-1

Appendix F.4 Airport Operations (Nonadministrative) ............................................................................... F.4-1

Appendix F.5 Nonwildlife-Dependent Beach Use....................................................................................... F.5-1

Appendix F.6 Nonwildlife-Related Outdoor Sports..................................................................................... F.6-1

Appendix F.7 Amateur Radio Use ............................................................................................................... F.7-1

Appendix G Draft Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Visitor Services Program......G-1

Appendix H ESA Section 7 Consultations.......................................................................................H-1

Appendix I List of Preparers and Reviewers ................................................................................... I-1

Appendix J Summary of Public Comment and the Service’s Responses ......................................J-1

Appendix K Record of Decision .......................................................................................................K-1
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge v 

December 4, 2006

Executive Summary 

In 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Service 

(FWS) prepared a public use plan to guide 

visitor services on Midway Atoll National 

Wildlife Refuge (refuge). Since then, new 

laws and policy regarding wildlifedependent recreation in the National 

Wildlife Refuge System have been 

promulgated, and a new visitor services plan 

is required to ensure recreational uses at 

Midway Atoll are compatible with the 

Refuge System mission and the purposes of 

the refuge and the Battle of Midway 

National Memorial. In addition, all 

recreational activities must be compliant 

with the requirements of the newly 

designated Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

Marine National Monument (monument). 

This document is an interim plan to guide 

visitor activities on Midway Atoll until such 

time as the broader monument management 

plan that meets the applicable requirements 

of a refuge comprehensive conservation plan 

and visitor services plan is completed. This 

monument plan will incorporate broader 

monument opportunities to assist in 

management and conservation activities 

within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

and throughout the main Hawaiian Islands 

that benefit the monument. The 

development of this visitor services plan 

began prior to the establishment of the 

monument to fulfill FWS requirements 

necessary to allow a regularly scheduled 

visitor services program to resume at 

Midway Atoll. As such, the focus of 

activities under this plan is limited to initial 

visitor services within the Midway Atoll 

Special Management Area only. We 

envision that future planning for a 

monument-wide visitor services program 

will be further developed to more fully 

realize the President’s vision to create a 

visitor window to the monument at Midway. 

In addition, future planning will explore 

opportunities for visitor use at Kure Atoll 

(under the jurisdiction of the State of 

Hawaii) and in the main Hawaiian Islands 

using distance learning and remote 

educational opportunities. The FWS will 

continue to work closely with its co-trustees 

in the monument, the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration and State of 

Hawaii, as this visitor services plan is 

implemented and in the development of the 

monument management plan that likely will 

replace this interim plan. Longer-term 

strategies are included in this plan so that 

readers may gain a vision of what the cotrustees have in mind at Midway Atoll. 

This plan documents approved recreational 

activities at Midway Atoll and identifies the 

structure of the visitor services program. It 

also outlines activities that honor and 

interpret the World War II history at 

Midway Atoll in recognition of its status as 

the Battle of Midway National Memorial. It 

discusses operational limitations, biological 

constraints, and partnership opportunities 

beyond Midway Atoll. 

Since 1995, FWS has been strongly 

committed to welcoming visitors to Midway 

Atoll. This is the first and only remote 

island national wildlife refuge in the Pacific 

to provide the general public with an 

opportunity to learn about and experience 

these unique ecosystems. A regularly 

scheduled visitor program operated on 

Midway Atoll until early in 2002 but ended 

when our cooperator left the atoll. Since 

then, visitors have arrived almost 

exclusively by the occasional cruise ship or 

sailboat, or for a Battle of Midway 

commemorative event. Through this interim 
vi Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006

visitor services plan, we hope to offer 

limited opportunities to expand the visitor 

program to allow more people to experience 

Midway’s wildlife and historic treasury. 

The following wildlife-dependent 

recreational uses have been determined to be 

compatible at Midway Atoll Special 

Management Area and National Wildlife 

Refuge (see Appendix F): wildlife 

observation and photography, environmental 

education and interpretation, and 

participatory research. Hunting and fishing, 

two uses normally given priority on national 

wildlife refuges, will not take place at 

Midway Atoll. All animal species are 

protected by law or occur in numbers too 

low for harvest to allow hunting 

opportunities. Recreational fishing is 

precluded under the Presidential 

proclamation (Proclamation 8031) 

designating the monument. 

Additional compatibility determinations 

allow for beach use activities such as 

swimming and volleyball, nonadministrative 

airport operations, limited outdoor sports 

such as bicycling and jogging, and amateur 

radio use. Each compatibility determination 

includes stipulations necessary to ensure 

protection of Midway’s natural and historic 

resources. Any additional activities that 

may be proposed within the Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge would need to be 

evaluated through the compatibility 

determination process with formal public 

review. Activities that are determined to be 

compatible are authorized through the 

issuance of monument permits, which fall 

within six permit types: conservation and 

management, research, education, Native 

Hawaiian uses, special ocean uses, and 

recreation. 

Goals, objectives, and strategies for the 

visitor program are discussed in Chapter 4 

of this plan. FWS will encourage individual 

visitors as well as organized groups to come 

to Midway. Opportunities for teacher 

workshops in environmental education, 

college courses, and distance learning will 

be explored. Improvements to trails and 

installation of blinds will benefit wildlife 

observation and photography opportunities, 

as will snorkeling and guided kayaking 

tours. Onsite and offsite interpretation of 

Midway Atoll’s historic and wildlife 

resources will be enhanced. 

In order to ensure a quality visitor 

experience using the limited infrastructure 

currently available, the total number of 

overnight visitors that would be allowed on 

Midway Atoll at any one time will be 

limited to 30 people in 2007 and 50 people 

in 2008 and beyond as long as this visitor 

services plan is effective. 

This number of visitors may be exceeded for 

short duration (less than a day) prearranged 

visits by ocean vessels or aircraft. In these 

cases, visitor activities are closely 

supervised and primarily consist of guided 

tours or participation in commemorative 

events. Annual goals for the number of 

overnight visitors are 100 people in 2007 

and 500 people in 2008 and beyond. 

For the next 5 years (2007-2011), visitor 

programs will operate from November 

through July, which coincides with the 

albatross season on Midway. The months of 

August through October are reserved 

primarily for planned construction and 

major maintenance activities. 

With no additional FWS funding available 

to support a visitor program, visitation at 

Midway Atoll must be financially selfsustaining. Fees reflecting actual costs for 

transportation, lodging, food services, and 

visitor services staffing are included in this 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge vii 

December 4, 2006

plan. Additional permitting requirements 

also are discussed. 

For this interim period, FWS intends to 

operate the visitor program primarily with 

its own staffing and with help from 

monument co-trustees and volunteers. 

Outside entities may be needed to provide 

assistance with marketing the program and 

to establish a dive program at Midway; these 

options will be evaluated over the coming 

year. 
viii Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006

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Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 1 

December 4, 2006

Chapter 1 Introduction and Background 

1.1 Introduction 

On June 15, 2006, President George W. 

Bush established the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine National Monument by 

Proclamation 8031. The monument 

incorporates the Hawaiian Islands National 

Wildlife Refuge, the Midway Atoll National 

Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway National 

Memorial, the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, and 

State of Hawaii Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine Refuge and Kure Atoll State 

Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The monument was established to protect 

the historic and scientific features of the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and to 

enhance visitation in a special area around 

Midway Atoll (through the establishment of 

the Midway Atoll Special Management 

Area), provide for carefully regulated 

educational and scientific activities, preserve 

access for Native Hawaiian cultural 

activities, prohibit unauthorized access to 

the monument, phase out commercial 

fishing over a 5-year period, and ban other 

types of resource extraction and dumping of 

waste. 

The Midway Atoll Special Management 

Area is located about 1,250 miles 

(2,012 km) northwest of Honolulu. It 

includes three small islands (Sand Island, 

1,117 acres (452 ha); Eastern Island, 

336 acres (136 ha); and Spit Island, 15 acres 

(6 ha)), an encircling protective coral reef, 

and submerged lands and waters out to the 

12-nautical mile territorial seas 

(581,864 acres; 235,473 ha). 

Midway Atoll is an unincorporated territory 

of the United States and is the only atoll/ 

island in the Hawaiian archipelago not part 

of the State of Hawaii. Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge is owned and 

administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS) on behalf of the American 

people and has international significance for 

both its historic and natural resources. 

1.2 Human History 

Midway Atoll’s central location in the midst 

of the Pacific Ocean has made it a vital link 

in communication, transportation, and 

military history. The first recorded landing 

at what is now called Midway Atoll was 

made in 1859 by Captain N. C. Brooks. In 

1867, the Secretary of the Navy sent Captain 

Reynolds to take possession of the islands 

for the United States. Efforts in the 1870s to 

open a channel in the reef were 

unsuccessful, and for the next 30 years visits 

to the atoll were limited to shipwreck 

survivors and bird feather collectors, who 

sought to satisfy the significant demand for 

feathers in the millinery trade. In January 

1903, President Theodore Roosevelt placed 

the Midway Islands and environs “under the 

jurisdiction and control of the Navy 

Department” by Executive Order 199–A to 

stop the “wanton destruction of birds that 

breed on Midway.” 

Midway’s role as an important 

communications link was established in 

1903, when the Commercial Pacific Cable 

Company chose Sand Island for one of its 

relay stations. The cable link between 

Honolulu and Guam was completed on 

July 4, 1903, in time for President Roosevelt 

to send the first round-the-world message 

wishing Americans a happy Independence 

Day. In 1905, the U.S. Lighthouse Service 

established a lighthouse on Sand Island. 
2 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

In 1935, Pan American World Airways 

established a seaplane base in the harbor and 

a small (but relatively luxurious) hotel on 

Sand Island. Midway became a regular fuel 

stop on a transpacific route that also 

included Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and 

Manila. The short-lived era of the “Clipper” 

seaplanes was an important chapter in 

aviation history. 

But Midway’s most significant historic role 

was as a military base. Military interest in 

Midway accelerated as World War II started 

in Europe. In 1941, the Naval Air Station 

was commissioned, altering the civilian 

character of Midway. On December 7, 

1941, not only Pearl Harbor but Midway 

was attacked by the Japanese, who landed a 

direct hit on the power plant. First 

Lieutenant George Cannon was fatally 

wounded in the attack and became the first 

Medal of Honor recipient for the U.S. 

Marine Corps in World War II. On June 4, 

1942, the atoll was again attacked, but the 

men stationed on the atoll played a 

significant role in the ensuing Battle of 

Midway, credited with turning the tide of the 

war in the Pacific. In July 1942, the 

Midway Submarine Advanced Base was 

formally established and operated until the 

end of World War II. Though relatively 

quiet as a military base for several years 

after World War II, Midway’s importance 

returned in 1953 with the Cold War and the 

construction of the Distant Early Warning 

(DEW) Line. By 1958, Midway was an 

important part of the “Pacific Barrier,” 

which extended North America’s early 

warning system from Alaska to the midPacific, and a significant construction 

program to support operations was 

underway. "Willy Victor" radar planes flew 

night and day as part of the DEW Line, and 

antenna fields covered the islands, part of an 

intricate chain of radar defenses. During the 

Vietnam War, Midway was one of the main 

aircraft and ship refueling stations, and it 

also hosted classified missile and submarine 

monitoring missions. 

By the early 1990s, military activities 

significantly declined, replaced by new 

technologies and centralized operations. On 

October 1, 1993, Naval Air Facility Midway 

was operationally closed under the Base 

Realignment and Closure Act of 1990. Prior 

to the Navy’s departure in 1997, a massive 

cleanup effort removed all buildings and 

structures from Eastern Island, and many of 

the Cold War era buildings from Sand 

Island. A significant effort was made to 

remove the environmental contaminants left 

by more than 90 years of military 

operations. In transferring Midway to the 

Fish and Wildlife Service, the Secretary of 

the Navy remarked that Americans are 

“trading guns for goonies,” and a new era 

began. 

1.3 Monument and Refuge History 

1.3.1 Establishment of the Refuge, 

Memorial, and Monument 

FWS staff have been conducting research 

and/or assisting the U.S. Navy with wildlife 

management issues on Midway Atoll for 

almost 50 years. Cooperative projects 

increased in the 1970s, addressing issues 

such as rodent control and lead poisoning in 

seabirds. A cooperative management plan 

developed by the Navy and FWS in the early 

1980s further defined responsibilities and 

eventually led to establishment of an 

“overlay” national wildlife refuge on 

Midway in 1988. As on other military bases 

with similar arrangements, the Navy 

retained primary jurisdiction, while FWS 

staff provided wildlife management 

assistance. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 3 

December 4, 2006

When Naval Air Facility Midway was 

identified for closure in 1993, the Navy 

began planning to transfer the atoll to the 

FWS. On October 31, 1996, President 

William Clinton signed Executive 

Order 13022, directing the Secretary of the 

Interior, through the Fish and Wildlife 

Service, to administer Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge. The purposes of 

the refuge, as defined in the Executive 

Order, are to maintain natural biological 

diversity; conserve fish and wildlife and 

their habitats; fulfill international wildlife 

treaty obligations; provide opportunities for 

research, education, and compatible 

wildlife-dependent recreation; and recognize 

and maintain the atoll’s historic significance. 

On September 13, 2000, in accordance with 

language in the Fiscal Year 2000 Interior 

Appropriations Act, Secretary of the Interior 

Bruce Babbitt signed Secretary’s 

Order 3217 designating the lands and waters 

of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

as the Battle of Midway National Memorial 

“so that the heroic courage and sacrifice of 

those who fought against overwhelming 

odds to win an incredible victory will never 

be forgotten.” 

On June 15, 2006, President George W. 

Bush established the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine National Monument 

(monument) by signing Proclamation 8031. 

The monument provides immediate and 

permanent protection for the lands and 

waters associated with the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands, including Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge. According to the 

Proclamation: 

The Secretary of Commerce, through the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), will have the 

primary responsibility regarding 

management of the marine areas, in 

consultation with the Secretary of the 

Interior. The Secretary of Interior, 

through the Fish and Wildlife Service 

(FWS), will have sole responsibility for 

management of the areas of the 

monument that overlay the Midway 

Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the 

Battle of Midway National Memorial, 

and the Hawaiian Islands National 

Wildlife Refuge, in consultation with the 

Secretary of Commerce. 

As the only atoll currently open to public 

visitation in the monument, Midway Atoll 

provides a window to the newly established 

monument. 

1.3.2 Refuge Vision and 

Management Goals 

Because the refuge has not yet completed a 

comprehensive conservation plan, this 

visitor services plan is based on draft 

versions of a refuge vision and management 

goals. As a monument management plan is 

developed, a vision and management goals 

will be developed for the entire monument. 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

and Battle of Midway National Memorial 

Draft Vision Statement 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is a 

unique and peaceful treasury of wildlife and 

history in the midst of the Pacific, 

where nature rules, but wildlife and 

people live in harmony; 

where native terrestrial and marine 

habitats dominate the landscape, 

supporting enhanced diversity and 

densities of plants and animals; 

where present and future generations of 

visitors find an opportunity to recreate 

their spirit and their connection with 

nature, an occasion to remember and 
4 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

honor the heroic servicemen who fought 

in the Battle of Midway, and a rare 

opportunity to experience and 

appreciate the importance of remote 

island national wildlife refuges; 

where wildlife always find safe haven to 

rest and rear their young; 

where a living laboratory provides 

lessons allowing the restoration of other 

altered island ecosystems; and 

where the albatross, which has been the 

common thread through centuries of life 

on Midway, continues to persevere, 

singing its serenade of life and dancing 

its intricate steps in rhythm to the call of 

nature, forever. 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

and Battle of Midway National Memorial 

Interim Goal Statements 

Goal 1. Conserve and restore the natural 

diversity and abundance of native plants and 

animals, both terrestrial and marine, at 

Midway Atoll, emphasizing seabirds and 

shorebirds, threatened and endangered 

species, and coastal and marine communities 

within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

ecosystem. 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities. 

Goal 3. Honor, maintain, and interpret the 

unique historical resources of Midway Atoll, 

with emphasis on its status as the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial. 

1.4 Purpose and Need for the 

Visitor Services Plan 

In most cases, a visitor1

 services plan is a 

“step-down” management plan from the 

refuge’s comprehensive conservation plan. 

The comprehensive plan for Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge and the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial has not yet been 

developed, and this document will serve as 

an interim plan to establish a compatible 

visitor services program. When the 

monument management plan has been 

completed, it will either incorporate details 

of a new visitor program or require 

development of a new visitor services plan. 

In 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Service 

prepared a public use plan to guide visitor 

services on Midway Atoll National Wildlife 

Refuge. Since then, the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 

(an amendment to the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Administration Act of 1966) 

set new standards for visitor programs on 

refuges, and in 2006, new guidance was 

issued in the form of Fish and Wildlife 

Service Manual chapters regarding wildlifedependent recreation. In accordance with 

the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended, 

and FWS guidance, this visitor services plan 

is required to ensure recreational uses are 

compatible with the Refuge System mission 

and the purposes, goals, and objectives of 

the refuge and national memorial. In 

addition, all recreational activities must be 

 

1

 For the purposes of this document, a visitor is a 

wildlife-dependent recreational or special ocean use 

visitor to Midway Atoll (including those visiting the 

atoll for its history) as approved under this visitor 

services plan. A visitor does not include refuge or 

monument co-trustee staffers performing official 

duties, researchers, refuge contractors, or other 

entities accessing Midway under monument 

conservation and management or research permits. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 5 

December 4, 2006

in compliance with Proclamation 8031 and 

its codifying regulations at 50 CFR Part 404. 

This plan documents approved recreational 

activities at Midway Atoll and identifies the 

structure of the visitor services program. It 

also outlines activities that honor and 

interpret the World War II history at 

Midway Atoll in recognition of its status as 

the Battle of Midway National Memorial. It 

discusses operational limitations, biological 

constraints, and partnership opportunities 

beyond Midway Atoll 

This plan is partially based on experiences 

with Midway visitors since 1996, but also 

reflects new information and new 

requirements. In 2005, a Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Program 

Market Analysis and Feasibility Study was 

completed by Pandion Systems, Inc., of 

Gainesville, Florida, under contract to FWS. 

The conclusions and recommendations from 

this report are included in Appendix B. This 

visitor services plan also reflects insights 

gained from their study. 

Furthermore, Proclamation 8031 reinforced 

the importance of Midway as a vital link to 

the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

ecosystem, especially as an opportunity for 

visitors to experience and appreciate the 

area. This visitor services plan not only 

addresses various FWS policy requirements, 

but goes beyond those requirements and 

looks at Midway Atoll as a “window to the 

monument.” Here visitors may learn about 

the broader monument, and the 

interrelationships among the islands and the 

wildlife moving on, between, and among 

them. 

Since 1995, the FWS has been strongly 

committed to welcoming visitors to Midway 

Atoll. This is the first and only remote 

island national wildlife refuge in the Pacific 

to provide the general public with an 

opportunity to learn about and experience 

these unique ecosystems. With this visitor 

services plan, we rededicate our efforts to 

share the atoll’s wildlife and historic 

resources with the world. 

1.5 Legal and Policy Guidance 

Midway Atoll Special Management Area is 

managed as part of the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands Marine National 

Monument and National Wildlife Refuge 

System (Refuge System) within a 

framework provided by legal and policy 

guidelines. This interim visitor services 

plan is primarily guided by the provisions of 

Proclamation 8031 and the mission and 

goals of the Refuge System, as well as by 

the purposes of the refuge as described in its 

acquisition authority, FWS policy, Federal 

laws, Executive orders, Presidential 

proclamations, and international treaties. 

The following summaries are provided as 

background for development of a visitor 

program at Midway Atoll. 

1.5.1 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

Marine National Monument 

Antiquities Act

(16 U.S.C. 431-433) 

The Antiquities Act of June 8, 1906, 

authorizes the President to designate as 

national monuments objects or areas of 

historic or scientific interest on lands owned 

or controlled by the United States. Through 

this authority, President Bush designated the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine 

National Monument on June 15, 2006. 
6 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Presidential Proclamation 8031 – 

Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine National Monument 

As part of this proclamation (see 

Appendix C), President Bush included 

Midway Atoll within the monument. The 

monument provides immediate and 

permanent protection for all of the Federal 

lands and waters within the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands, stretching from Nihoa 

Island to beyond Midway Atoll in a 

100-mile wide swath. The three principal 

entities (collectively the co-trustees) with 

responsibility for managing lands and waters 

of the monument –NOAA, FWS, and the 

State of Hawaii – are working cooperatively 

to administer the monument. These trustees 

have established a goal to provide unified 

management in the spirit of cooperative 

conservation. Joint regulations codifying 

Proclamation 8031 were published on 

August 29, 2006, and parallel its 

requirements. 

As defined in Proclamation 8031, the 

purpose of the monument is “to preserve the 

marine area of the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands and certain lands as necessary for the 

care and management of the historic and 

scientific objects therein.” 

Proclamation 8031 specifically prohibits the 

following activities: 

• exploring for, developing, or 

producing oil, gas, or minerals 

within the monument; 

• using or attempting to use poisons, 

electrical charges, or explosives in 

the collection or harvest of a 

monument resource; 

• introducing or otherwise releasing an 

introduced species from within or 

into the monument; and 

• anchoring on or having a vessel 

anchored on any living or dead coral 

with an anchor, anchor chain, or 

anchor rope. 

Furthermore, Proclamation 8031 regulates 

numerous activities within the monument: 

• commercial fishing for bottomfish 

and associated pelagic species is 

allowed as currently regulated by 

NOAA for no longer than 5 years 

from the date of the proclamation; 

• a permitting program requires that 

any activity within the monument 

meet one of the following categories: 

o is research designed to 

further understanding of 

monument resources and 

qualities; 

o will further the educational 

value of the monument; 

o will assist in the conservation 

and management of the 

monument; 

o will allow Native Hawaiian 

practices; 

o will allow a special ocean 

use; or 

o will allow recreational 

activities. 

• in addition, through a series of 

findings, the Secretaries of the 

Interior and Commerce are required 

to meet numerous other standards 

before issuing a permit for an 

activity (see Appendix C for 

listings). 

Proclamation 8031 established the Midway 

Atoll Special Management Area with 

accompanying unique opportunities and 

requirements. Midway is the only area 

where recreational permits may be issued 

within the monument and is the most likely 

area where special ocean use permits may be 

issued as well. Recreational permits may be 

issued as long as the activity does not 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 7 

December 4, 2006

involve any extractive use or for-hire 

operation. Special ocean use permitted 

activities must further the conservation and 

management of the monument. All 

permitted activities within the refuge must 

be determined to be compatible with the 

purposes for which it was established. 

1.5.2 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is 

managed by FWS within the Department of 

the Interior. FWS is the primary Federal 

agency responsible for conserving and 

enhancing the Nation’s fish and wildlife 

populations and their habitats. Although 

FWS shares this responsibility with other 

Federal, State, tribal, local, and private 

entities, FWS has specific trust 

responsibilities for migratory birds, 

threatened and endangered species, and 

certain anadromous fish and marine 

mammals. FWS also has similar trust 

responsibilities for the lands and waters it 

administers to support the conservation and 

enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and 

their habitats. 

1.5.3 National Wildlife Refuge 

System 

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System is: 

To administer a national network of 

lands and waters for the 

conservation, management, and 

where appropriate, restoration of the 

fish, wildlife, and plant resources 

and their habitats within the United 

States for the benefit of present and 

future generations of Americans. 

(16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.) 

Starting with the first refuge, Florida’s 

Pelican Island established in 1903 by 

President Theodore Roosevelt, the Refuge 

System has grown to nearly 100 million 

acres in size, including 545 national wildlife 

refuges. The Refuge System is the largest 

collection of lands and waters specifically 

managed for fish and wildlife conservation 

in the Nation. The needs of wildlife and 

their habitats come first on refuges, in 

contrast to other public lands that are 

managed for multiple uses. 

The administration, management, and 

growth of the Refuge System are guided by 

the following goals (Fish and Wildlife 

Service Manual Part 601 (601 FW 1)): 

 A. Conserve a diversity of fish, wildlife, 

and plants and their habitats, 

including species that are endangered 

or threatened with becoming 

endangered.

 B. Develop and maintain a network of 

habitats for migratory birds, 

anadromous and interjurisdictional 

fish, and marine mammal 

populations that is strategically 

distributed and carefully managed to 

meet important life history needs of 

these species across their ranges.

 C. Conserve those ecosystems, plant 

communities, wetlands of national or 

international significance, and 

landscapes and seascapes that are 

unique, rare, declining, or 

underrepresented in existing 

protection efforts.

 D. Provide and enhance opportunities to 

participate in compatible wildlifedependent recreation (hunting, 

fishing, wildlife observation and 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation).

 E. Foster understanding and instill 

appreciation of the diversity and 

interconnectedness of fish, wildlife, 

and plants and their habitats.
8 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Refuge Recreation Act of 1962

(16 U.S.C. 460k-460k-4) 

The Refuge Recreation Act authorized the 

Secretary of the Interior to administer 

refuges, hatcheries, and other conservation 

areas for recreational use, when such uses do 

not interfere with the area’s primary 

purposes. It provided for public use fees 

and permits, and penalties for violation of 

regulations. It also authorized the 

acceptance of donations of funds and real 

and personal property to assist in carryout 

out its purposes. Enforcement provisions 

were amended in 1978 and 1984 to make 

violations misdemeanors in accordance with 

the uniform sentencing provisions of 

18 U.S.C. 3551-3586. 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act2

(Public Law 105-57, amending 16 U.S.C. 

668dd-ee) 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 (Improvement 

Act) amended the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Administration Act of 1966 

(Administration Act) by defining a unifying 

mission for all refuges, including a new 

process for determining compatible uses on 

refuges, and requiring that each non-Alaskan 

refuge be managed under a comprehensive 

conservation plan. The Improvement Act 

expressly states that wildlife conservation is 

the priority of Refuge System lands and that 

the Secretary of the Interior shall ensure the 

biological integrity, diversity, and 

environmental health of refuge lands are 

maintained. Each refuge must be managed 

to fulfill the Refuge System mission and the 

specific purpose(s) for which the refuge was 

 

2

 The information in the following paragraphs of 

section 1.5.2 does not apply to refuges in Alaska, 

which are governed in part by the Alaska National 

Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 

410hh-3233, 43 U.S.C. 1602-1784). 

established. The first priority of each refuge 

is to conserve, manage, and, if needed, 

restore fish and wildlife populations and 

habitats according to its purpose(s). FWS 

has statutory authority under the 

Administration Act, as amended, to regulate 

activities that occur on water bodies 

“within” a refuge. The Improvement Act 

requires that a comprehensive conservation 

plan be completed for each refuge by the 

year 2012, and that the public have an 

opportunity for active involvement in plan 

development and revision. The Act also 

superseded some key provisions of the 

Refuge Recreation Act regarding 

compatibility and also provided significant 

additional guidance regarding recreational 

and other public uses on units of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System.

Compatibility (603 FW 2) and Appropriate 

Refuge Uses (603 FW 1) Policies

With few exceptions, lands and waters 

within the Refuge System are different from 

other multiple-use public lands in that they 

are closed to all public access and use unless 

specifically and legally opened. No refuge 

use may be allowed unless it is determined 

to be compatible. A compatible use is a use 

that, in the sound professional judgment of 

the refuge manager, will not materially 

interfere with or detract from the fulfillment 

of the refuge purposes or Refuge System 

mission. 

The Improvement Act identifies six wildlifedependent recreational uses: hunting, 

fishing, wildlife observation and 

photography, and environmental education 

and interpretation. When determined to be 

compatible, they are the priority general 

public uses of the Refuge System and as 

such receive priority consideration over 

other public uses in planning and 

management. Other (nonwildlifedependent) uses on a refuge are first 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 9 

December 4, 2006

reviewed by the refuge manager in writing 

to determine if they are appropriate uses. If 

determined appropriate, then a compatibility 

determination is completed. 

Biological Integrity, Diversity, and 

Environmental Health Policy (601 FW 3)

The Improvement Act directs FWS to 

“ensure that the biological integrity, 

diversity, and environmental health of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System are 

maintained for the benefit of present and 

future generations of Americans ....” The 

policy is an additional directive for refuge 

managers to follow while achieving refuge 

purpose(s) and Refuge System mission. It 

provides for the consideration and protection 

of a broad spectrum of native fish, wildlife, 

and habitat resources found on refuges and 

associated ecosystems. When evaluating the 

appropriate management direction for 

refuges (e.g., in compatibility 

determinations), refuge managers will use 

sound professional judgment to determine 

their refuge’s contribution to biological 

integrity, diversity, and environmental 

health at multiple landscape scales. Sound 

professional judgment incorporates field 

experience, knowledge of refuge resources, 

an understanding of the refuge’s role within 

an ecosystem, applicable laws, and best 

available science, including consultation 

with others both inside and outside FWS. 

Wildlife-Dependent Recreation Policies

(605 FW 1-7)

The Improvement Act states “compatible 

wildlife-dependent recreation is a legitimate 

and appropriate general public use of the 

System.” A series of recreation policies 

provide additional guidance, requirements to 

be considered after a recreational use has 

been determined to be compatible. These 

policies also establish a quality standard for 

visitor services programs on national 

wildlife refuges. Through these policies, 

FWS is to enhance wildlife-dependent 

recreational opportunities and access to 

quality visitor experiences on refuges at the 

same time the refuges are managed to 

conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their 

habitats. New and ongoing recreational uses 

should help visitors focus on wildlife and 

other natural resources, providing an 

opportunity to make visitors aware of 

resource issues, management plans, and how 

the refuge contributes to the Refuge System 

and FWS mission. The policies also require 

development of a visitor services plan such 

as this document. 

1.5.4 Biological Resource Protection 

Acts 

Midway Atoll’s plant and animal species are 

protected under several Federal laws, 

including: 

Endangered Species Act of 1973

(16 U.S.C. 1531-1544) 

Through Federal action and by encouraging 

the establishment of State programs, the 

1973 Endangered Species Act provided for 

the conservation of ecosystems upon which 

threatened and endangered species of fish, 

wildlife, and plants depend. The Act: 

• authorizes the determination and 

listing of species as endangered and 

threatened; 

• prohibits unauthorized taking, 

possession, sale, and transport of 

endangered species; 

• provides authority to acquire land for 

the conservation of listed species, 

using land and water conservation 

funds; 

• authorizes establishment of 

cooperative agreements and grantsin-aid to States that establish and 

maintain active and adequate 

programs for endangered and 

threatened wildlife and plants; 
10 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

• authorizes the assessment of civil 

and criminal penalties for violating 

the act or regulations; and 

• authorizes the payment of rewards to 

anyone furnishing information 

leading to arrest and conviction for 

any violation of the act or any 

regulation issued thereunder. 

Both FWS and NOAA-Fisheries implement 

and enforce the Endangered Species Act. 

FWS has primary responsibility for 

terrestrial and freshwater organisms, while 

the responsibilities of NOAA-Fisheries are 

mainly marine species including mammals, 

turtles, fishes, invertebrates, and plants. 

Under this act, for the most commonly 

occurring endangered and threatened species 

at Midway Atoll, NOAA-Fisheries has 

primary responsibility for Hawaiian monk 

seals and green sea turtles while in the 

water, while FWS has primary responsibility 

for green sea turtles on land, the Laysan 

duck, short-tailed albatross, and the plant 

Cenchrus agrimonioides var. laysanensis. 

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 

requires Federal agencies to ensure that any 

action authorized, funded, or carried out by 

them is not likely to jeopardize the 

continued existence of listed species or 

modify their critical habitat. FWS will 

consult with NOAA-Fisheries regarding 

potential impacts of visitor use on marine 

listed species found within the atoll and 

consult internally regarding terrestrial 

species. 

Eight species presently or historically 

known to be found within Midway Atoll are 

listed under the Endangered Species Act: 

• green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), 

threatened species 

• hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys 

imbricata), endangered species 

• leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys 

coriaceae), endangered species 

• loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta 

caretta), threatened species 

• Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus 

schauinslandi), endangered species 

with critical habitat 

• humpback whale (Megaptera 

novaeangliae), endangered species 

• Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis), 

endangered species 

• short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria 

albatrus), endangered species 

• Cenchrus agrimonioides var.

laysanensis, endangered plant 

species (last seen on Midway 

sometime shortly after 1902) 

FWS also maintains a list of species of 

concern, including the following currently or 

historically found on Midway: 

• popolo (Solanum nelsonii) 

(candidate species for listing)

• bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius 

tahitiensis) 

• Laysan albatross (Phoebastria 

immutabilis) 

• black-footed albatross (Phoebastria 

nigripes) 

• Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis 

fulva) 

• Christmas shearwater (Puffinus 

nativitatus) 

• Fullaway’s seed bug (Nysius 

fullaway) 

• Laysan oodemas weevil (Oodemas 

laysanensis) 

• obscure pentarthrum weevil 

(Pentarthrum obscurum) 

• Achyranthes atollensis 

• pua pilo (Capparis sandwichiana) 

• anaunau (Lepidium bidentatum var. 

o-waihiense) 

• Phyllostegia variabilis 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 11 

December 4, 2006

Refuge management activities are focused 

on protecting habitat and reducing threats so 

that these species do not need the protection 

of the Endangered Species Act. 

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972

(16 U.S.C. 1361-140) 

The 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act 

established a Federal responsibility to 

conserve marine mammals with 

management vested in the Department of the 

Interior for sea otter, walrus, polar bear, 

dugong, and manatee. The Department of 

Commerce is responsible for cetaceans 

(whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and 

pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), other than 

the walrus. 

With certain specified exceptions, the act 

establishes a moratorium on the taking and 

importation of marine mammals as well as 

products taken from them, and establishes 

procedures for waiving the moratorium and 

transferring management responsibility to 

the States. 

On Midway, NOAA’s National Marine 

Fisheries Service administers the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act provisions for 

Hawaiian monk seals, Hawaiian spinner 

dolphins, and all whale species covered 

under this act. 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918

(16 U.S.C. 703-712) 

The framers of the Migratory Bird Treaty 

Act were determined to put an end to the 

commercial trade in birds and their feathers 

that, by the early years of the 20th century, 

had wreaked havoc on the populations of 

many native bird species. 

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act decreed that 

all migratory birds and their parts (including 

eggs, nests, and feathers) were fully 

protected. It is the domestic law that affirms 

or implements the United States' 

commitment to four international 

conventions (with Canada, Japan, Mexico, 

and Russia) for the protection of a shared 

migratory bird resource. Each of the 

conventions protect selected species of birds 

that are common to both countries (i.e., they 

occur in both countries at some point during 

their annual life cycle). 

All of Midway Atoll’s seabirds and 

shorebirds are protected under this act. 

1.5.5 Historic Preservation Acts 

Midway Atoll’s historic resources are 

protected under several Federal laws. 

Archaeological Resources Protection Act 

(16 U.S.C. 470aa - 470ll) 

This act established detailed requirements 

for issuance of permits for any excavation 

for or removal of archaeological resources 

from Federal or Indian lands. It also 

established civil and criminal penalties for 

the unauthorized excavation, removal, or 

damage of any such resources; for any 

trafficking in such resources removed from 

Federal or Indian land in violation of any 

provision of Federal law; and for interstate 

and foreign commerce in such resources 

acquired, transported, or received in 

violation of any State or local law. 

Public Law 100-588, approved November 3, 

1988, (102 Stat. 2983) lowered the threshold 

value of artifacts triggering the felony 

provisions of the act from $5,000 to $500, 

made attempting to commit an action 

prohibited by the act a violation, and 

required the land managing agencies to 

establish public awareness programs 

regarding the value of archaeological 

resources to the Nation. 
12 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Archeological and Historic Preservation Act

(16 U.S.C. 469-469c) 

To carry out the policy established by the 

Historic Sites Act (see below), this act 

directed Federal agencies to notify the 

Secretary of the Interior whenever they find 

a Federal or federally assisted, licensed, or 

permitted project may cause loss or 

destruction of significant scientific, 

prehistoric, or archaeological data. The act 

authorized use of appropriated, donated, 

and/or transferred funds for the recovery, 

protection, and preservation of such data. 

Historic Sites, Buildings and Antiquities Act 

(16 U.S.C. 461-462, 464-467) 

This act declared it a national policy to 

preserve historic sites and objects of national 

significance, including those located on 

refuges. It provided procedures for 

designation, acquisition, administration, and 

protection of such sites. 

Among other things, National Historic and 

Natural Landmarks are designated under 

authority of this act. As of 2006, 

130 national wildlife refuges contained such 

sites, including Midway Atoll, where nine 

defensive positions on Sand Island were 

designated a National Historic Landmark in 

1986. 

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 

(16 U.S.C. 470-470b, 470c-470n) 

This act provided for preservation of 

significant historical features (buildings, 

objects, and sites) through a grant-in-aid 

program to the States. It established a 

National Register of Historic Places and a 

program of matching grants under the 

existing National Trust for Historic 

Preservation (16 U.S.C. 468-468d). The act 

established an Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation, which was made a permanent 

independent agency in Public Law 94-422, 

approved September 28, 1976 (90 Stat. 

1319). That act also created the Historic 

Preservation Fund. Federal agencies are 

directed to take into account the effects of 

their actions on items or sites listed or 

eligible for listing in the National Register. 

As of September 2004, 157 historic sites on 

national wildlife refuges have been placed 

on the National Register. An additional 

229 sites have been identified as eligible for 

listing, including 63 on Midway Atoll.

Executive Order 11593 Protection and 

Enhancement of the Cultural Environment

Signed May 6, 1971, this Executive order 

requires that the Federal government 

provide leadership in preserving, restoring, 

and maintaining the historic and cultural 

environment of the Nation. Agencies of the 

executive branch of the government must 

(1) administer the cultural properties under 

their control in a spirit of stewardship and 

trusteeship for future generations; (2) initiate 

measures necessary to direct their policies, 

plans, and programs in such a way that 

federally owned sites, structures, and objects 

of historical, architectural, or archaeological 

significance are preserved, restored, and 

maintained for the inspiration and benefit of 

the people; and (3) in consultation with the 

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 

institute procedures to assure that Federal 

plans and programs contribute to the 

preservation and enhancement of 

nonfederally owned sites, structures, and 

objects of historical, architectural, or 

archaeological significance. 

Maritime Laws

Department of the Navy ship and aircraft 

wrecks are government property in the 

custody of the U.S. Navy. These seemingly 

abandoned properties remain governmentowned until the Navy takes specific formal 

action to dispose of them. Navy custody of 

its wrecks is based on the property clause of 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 13 

December 4, 2006

the U.S. Constitution and international 

maritime law and it is consistent with 

Articles 95 and 96 of the Law of the Sea 

Convention. These laws establish that right, 

title, or ownership of federal property is not 

lost to the government due to the passage of 

time. Only by congressional action can ship 

and aircraft wrecks be declared abandoned. 

Through the sovereign immunity provisions 

of Admiralty law, the Department of the 

Navy retains custody of all of its naval 

vessels and aircraft, whether lost within 

U.S., foreign, or international boundaries. 

Under the National Historic Preservation 

Act, the Navy is obligated to protect its 

historic properties, including ship and 

aircraft wrecks, for which it has custodial 

responsibilities. 

1.5.6 Specific Legal Mandates for 

Midway Atoll 

Executive Order 13022 Administration of 

the Midway Islands 

On October 31, 1996, the President signed 

this Executive order, transferring 

jurisdiction and control of Midway Atoll 

from the U.S. Navy to the Secretary of the 

Interior, to be managed as Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge. It furthered 

specified the following purposes for the 

refuge: 

• maintaining and restoring natural 

biological diversity within the 

refuge; 

• providing for the conservation and 

management of fish and wildlife and 

their habitats within the refuge; 

• fulfilling the international treaty 

obligations of the United States with 

respect to fish and wildlife; 

• providing opportunities for scientific 

research, environmental education, 

and compatible wildlife-dependent 

recreational activities; and 

• in a manner compatible with refuge 

purposes, recognizing and 

maintaining the historic significance 

of the Midway Islands consistent 

with the policy stated in Executive 

Order 11593, Protection and 

Enhancement of the Cultural 

Environment. 

Secretary’s Order 3217 Designation of the 

Battle of Midway National Memorial 

On September 13, 2000, the Secretary of the 

Interior designated Midway Atoll National 

Wildlife Refuge as the Battle of Midway 

National Memorial, “so that the heroic 

courage and sacrifice of those who fought 

against overwhelming odds to win an 

incredible victory will never be forgotten.” 

As such, Midway is the only national 

memorial in the Refuge System. 

1.6 Internal/External Issues 

On February 6, 2006, prior to the 

establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands Marine National Monument, FWS 

posted a notice on its Midway Atoll website 

announcing the initiation of a new visitor 

services planning process and inviting 

anyone interested in being on our mailing 

list to contact us. In addition, readers were 

invited to identify any issues that should be 

considered, visitor activities they would 

want to recommend, or thoughts about how 

the program should be structured. 

FWS received 180 requests to be included 

on the mailing list and additional comments 

from 62 individuals. Only 1 person 

expressed concern about allowing increased 

visitation at Midway Atoll, and 

46 commenters expressed an interest in 

actually visiting (or revisiting) the atoll. 
14 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Individual issues identified by those 

contacting us included: 

• fees (e.g., should charge enough to 

mitigate environmental impacts, 

costs are not a factor, local residents 

should be charged less, don’t make it 

too expensive) 

• natural resource protection (e.g., 

FWS staff need to be 

conservationists rather than 

preservationists, need to fiercely 

protect natural resources while 

allowing visitation) 

• historical recognition (e.g., should be 

open to all veterans, need to honor 

World War II history, need to market 

to veterans’ organizations) 

• authorized uses (e.g., diving, 

recreational fishing, photography, 

amateur radio use, university 

courses) 

• cruise ship impacts 

• numbers of visitors to be allowed 

• length of visits to be offered 

• type of facilities offered (e.g., should 

not be a resort) 

These issues will all be addressed in the 

appropriate sections below. 

With the inclusion of the refuge within the 

monument, FWS also contacted our 

monument co-trustees regarding a visitor 

services program at Midway Atoll. The 

State of Hawaii expressed support for a 

renewed ecotourism operation at Midway to 

“ensure some opportunity to have people 

experience the ‘place’ and the phenomenal 

wildlife,” as well as a concern that adequate 

funding and infrastructure be available to 

support visitors, management activities, 

research, and enforcement. In addition, the 

State requested that support be available for 

management activities at the Kure Atoll 

State Wildlife Sanctuary. 

NOAA also expressed interest in the visitor 

program at Midway, especially as it relates 

to environmental education and ocean 

literacy and within the broader context of 

the monument. As Proclamation 8031 

largely directs visitation to the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands to Midway Atoll, the 

Special Management Area is being viewed 

as the “window to the monument” and as 

such needs to provide visitors an experience 

that encompasses the natural, historical, and 

Native Hawaiian cultural attributes of the 

monument. In addition, NOAA would like 

infrastructure planning for the visitor 

services program to be closely integrated 

with infrastructure planning for other uses at 

Midway Atoll including field operations, 

field-based research, emergency response, 

and enforcement. 

NOAA, which is charged with protecting 

federally endangered Hawaiian monk seals 

and threatened and endangered sea turtles at 

Midway Atoll, shares FWS’s concern that 

all wildlife species are adequately protected. 

FWS has entered into informal consultation 

under the Endangered Species Act with 

NOAA-Fisheries to ensure both agencies 

meet their goals. 

Internally, FWS staff raised concerns about 

the island’s infrastructure (capacity and 

condition), availability of transportation to 

Midway, and visitor program costs. Others 

stated the visitor program needs to be 

financially self-sustaining in a time of 

declining budgets. In addition, staff want to 

ensure visitors have a safe, educational, and 

enjoyable experience while on Midway 

Atoll. 

1.7 Local Setting 

1.7.1 Community Description 

Midway Atoll is so remote (about 

1,250 miles from Honolulu, its nearest major 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 15 

December 4, 2006

city) that it must operate independently as its 

own small town. It provides its own power 

system, water treatment and distribution, 

facilities maintenance, sewage treatment, 

waste management systems, 

communications systems, and all the other 

operational necessities found in a small 

municipality. 

The refuge is currently staffed by five fulltime FWS employees, one of whom is 

stationed in Honolulu. A few volunteers 

(normally one to four) assist the refuge staff 

in biological and habitat management 

activities. One part-time NOAA-Fisheries 

and part-time U.S. Geological Survey 

employee is based on Midway Atoll. The 

atoll also hosts transient3

 researchers, other 

FWS employees, or U.S. Coast Guard 

personnel on an occasional basis. During 

“construction season,” from August through 

October, as many as 30 additional workers 

may be on the island. NOAA and the State 

of Hawaii have expressed interest in basing 

a small number of staff on Midway, but no 

exact numbers have been determined. The 

refuge has contracted with a private entity to 

operate the infrastructure of the atoll. The 

contractor currently has approximately 

50 employees on Midway. 

Island residents live in renovated Navy 

housing, including single family homes, 

duplexes, and Bachelor Officers Quarters 

(BOQ). One BOQ (known as Charlie 

Barracks), which contains 36 rooms, has 

been set aside for transient and visitor use. 

Almost all of the residents and transients eat 

at the “Clipper House,” where three meals a 

day are served buffet style. 

 

3

 Transients include those coming to Midway Atoll 

for official duties, e.g., refuge employees, co-trustee 

staff, Coast Guard or other law enforcement entities, 

contractors, researchers, other federal or state 

employees, or other permitted personnel. 

Most supplies, particularly foodstuffs, are 

flown to the island on chartered aircraft. 

Approximately once a year, a barge brings 

in equipment, food, and supplies too large or 

heavy for the aircraft. Fuel to operate the 

generators and small vehicles and to refill 

chartered aircraft is brought by fuel barge 

about once every 2 years. All fuel deliveries 

operate in compliance with FWS regulations 

and the Midway Atoll Spill Prevention 

Control and Counter Measure Plan. 

Current funding to operate Midway Atoll 

comes from FWS, supplemented by Federal 

Aviation Administration funding that fully 

covers airport operations costs and a share 

of infrastructure operations costs. A small 

amount of funding is generated by other 

users of the atoll, such as other federal 

agencies conducting activities on Midway. 

1.7.2 Travel Links 

The only means of accessing Midway Atoll 

are by air or vessel. Midway has a fully 

certified airport known as Henderson 

Airfield, maintained to standards specified 

in Federal Aviation Administration Title 14 

Code of Federal Regulations, Part 139. 

Midway is used as a required emergency 

landing site for extended twin-engine 

operations (ETOPS) flights across the 

Pacific Ocean. Under current regulations, 

twin-engine aircraft must be within a 

maximum of 180 minutes from a Part 139 

certified airfield in case of an emergency. 

Midway’s 7,900-foot runway is capable of 

handling almost any type of aircraft. 

As a Navy base, numerous facilities were 

built to support a variety of vessel types. 

Small boats can enter the inner harbor and 

moor dockside or in the harbor. Larger 

vessels resupplying the island and research 

vessels generally come into the cargo pier, 

inside Midway’s lagoon but outside the 

inner harbor. Cruise ships are required to 
16 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

anchor outside the reef and shuttle their 

passengers in via tenders due to port security 

requirements. 

1.7.3 Visitor Services Opportunities 

(Beyond Midway) 

When Midway Atoll was opened to the 

public in 1995, it became the first and only 

remote refuge in the Pacific open to public 

visitation. The other islands in the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are 

protected within the Hawaiian Islands 

National Wildlife Refuge (from Nihoa to 

Pearl and Hermes Atoll) or in the State of 

Hawaii’s Kure Atoll Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Because of their fragility and sensitive 

wildlife, these other islands and atolls are all 

closed to public use. 

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral 

Reef Ecosystem Reserve was established 

adjacent to and seaward of the seaward 

boundaries of the State of Hawaii and 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 

2001, and is administered by NOAA. The 

area was under consideration for designation 

as a national marine sanctuary until the area 

was set aside as a marine national 

monument. A monument management plan 

and regulations will clarify if any public use 

will be allowed outside the Special 

Management Area and under what 

conditions. As required in the Presidential 

proclamation establishing the national 

monument, special ocean uses such 

as ecotourism may be permitted outside the 

Midway Atoll Special Management Area if: 

• the activity will directly benefit the 

conservation and management of the 

monument; 

• the activity is for research or 

education related to the resources or 

qualities of the monument; 

• the public is provided an opportunity 

to review the application for a 

special ocean use permit at least 

30 days before the permit is issued; 

and 

• the activity does not involve the use 

of a commercial passenger vessel. 

The State of Hawaii also administers 

submerged lands and waters out to 

3 nautical miles from the islands and atolls 

except at Midway. In 2005, the State 

created a marine refuge in those waters with 

regulations setting aside all waters from 

extractive uses, including commercial and 

recreational fishing. Other uses (such as 

research, education, and Native Hawaiian 

cultural practices) are regulated by permit. 

Although numerous visitor opportunities 

exist in the main Hawaiian Islands or at 

other islands in the Pacific, none offer the 

unique combination of natural and historic 

resources found at Midway Atoll. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 17 

December 4, 2006

Chapter 2 Significant Features 

2.1 Terrestrial Resources 

Humans have greatly changed Midway Atoll 

from its original form. Only Spit Island has 

the general terrestrial habitat characteristics 

of an undisturbed atoll island, though it 

probably formed as an unintended result of 

channel dredging. Although the combined 

effects of dredging and filling, seawall 

construction, and importation of soil and 

many nonnative plant species has greatly 

expanded and altered the original acreage of 

Midway, it is still a wildlife habitat of 

worldwide importance. 

The earliest botanical descriptions of 

Midway were made in 1902. Since then, 

355 different plant species have been 

identified. Twelve species are native and 

2 are questionably indigenous to Hawaii. 

One plant species, Cenchrus agriminoides

var. laysanensis, is listed as endangered, but 

it has not been observed on Midway since 

the early 1900s. Numerous exotic species 

are found on Midway, including some that 

are invasive and affect wildlife habitat. 

Ecological restoration efforts are underway 

to eradicate the worst invasive plants, 

control others, and revegetate with native 

species. 

Since the first insect (a moth) was described 

from Midway in 1894, more than 

300 species of arthropods and land snails 

have been found on Midway, most 

introduced aliens. 

Almost 2 million breeding seabirds of 

18 species make Midway one of the most 

important breeding areas of seabird 

conservation in the Pacific. Midway hosts 

the world’s largest populations of both 

Laysan albatross (487,527 nesting pairs in 

2005) and black-footed albatross 

(24,085 nesting pairs). Midway’s breeding 

populations of white terns, black noddies, 

and red-tailed tropic birds constitute the 

largest colonies in the Hawaiian archipelago. 

After eradication of rats in the mid-1990s, 

the Bonin petrel colony at Midway is 

rebounding to more than 32,000 pairs. One 

or two endangered short-tailed albatrosses 

generally visit Midway each year, although 

none have nested since the 1960s. 

In 2004, 20 endangered Laysan ducks were 

transported to Midway from their home at 

Laysan Island in the Hawaiian Islands 

National Wildlife Refuge. Biologists hope 

to establish a second “insurance” population 

of this endemic duck. The birds adapted 

well to the seeps created on Sand Island and 

surprised biologists by breeding during their 

first year, with 12 ducklings successfully 

fledging. An additional 22 ducks were 

transported to Midway in 2005, most of 

which were introduced to Eastern Island. So 

far in 2006, 56 ducklings have fledged. 

Midway also serves as an overwintering area 

for several arctic migrant shorebirds, 

including the rare bristle-thighed curlew. 

The availability of predator-free islands on 

which this large shorebird can spend its 

nonbreeding season is essential, because 

they become flightless during their molt. 

Many other migratory birds also visit 

Midway, some regularly and some rarely. 

2.2 Marine Resources 

Midway Atoll is one of the northernmost 

coral atolls in the world, presenting a unique 

opportunity to study the effect of colder 

waters on the growth, development, and 

ecology of coral reefs. Its neighbor, Kure 

Atoll, is the northernmost atoll in the world. 
18 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Midway Atoll drops off steeply outside the 

barrier reefs, making it possible to observe 

in a relatively small area the different 

organisms and communities associated with 

pelagic, reef crest, ocean reef slope, deep 

reef, and lagoon habitats. 

The lagoon is filled with dense networks of 

linear reticulated and circular reefs that 

block circulation in much of the lagoon and 

trap sand washed over the northeastern 

reefs. These sediments limit coral 

development in much of the lagoon, except 

in the central lagoon where a modest amount 

of fingercoral gardens exist. Seagrass 

meadows are common in the lagoon, as are 

rock-boring urchins, calcareous green algae, 

and brown turban algae. 

Massive spurs and grooves high in coralline 

algal cover face the open ocean along the 

northwest to southwest perimeter reefs and 

offer evidence of the importance of coralline 

algae as a major reef builder in the far end of 

the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Corals 

are more abundant elsewhere on some ocean 

facing reefs and especially on shallow backreefs and lagoon pinnacles. 

A total of 29 species of coral have been 

recorded at Midway, mostly Pocillopora, 

Porites, and Montipora species. Blue 

encrusting coral tentatively identified as 

Montipora cf. turgecens occurs in 

spectacular formations in the lagoon and 

back reef habitats and may be endemic to 

the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. 

The first systematic marine invertebrate 

survey was conducted at Midway in 1997. 

It documented 316 invertebrate species, 250 

of which had not been previously recorded 

at Midway. Crustaceans were the dominant 

macroinvertebrates, composing 46 percent 

of the total species. 

More than 100 species of algae are known 

from Midway, including 35 previously 

unrecorded species at Midway and 

1 seaweed species new to science, 

Dudresnaya babbittiana. One alien algae 

and four alien marine invertebrate species 

are established at Midway as found in 2000-

2003 surveys. 

A total of 266 species of fish, including 

7 pelagic species, have been recorded at 

Midway. Some of these species are either 

not found in the main Hawaiian Islands or 

are very rare. Despite its low species 

diversity, Midway’s reef fish biomass is 

higher than in the main Hawaiian Islands, 

largely due to lower fishing pressures. 

Midway and its neighboring atolls have the 

highest rates of endemic reef fishes within 

the archipelago, in some cases reaching 

52 percent. 

Many Midway species grow to larger than 

average size. All trophic levels are well 

represented, including jacks and four species 

of sharks. Several species of fish found 

elsewhere only in deep waters are found at 

shallow diving depths at Midway, including 

the endemic Hawaiian black grouper 

(hapu‘upu’u). 

Threatened green sea turtles are frequently 

seen inside the lagoon and basking on 

beaches. No turtle nesting had been 

documented until successfully hatched eggs 

were discovered on Spit Islet in July 2006. 

High surf uncovered the eggs, which 

probably hatched in 2005. Endangered 

hawksbill sea turtles are infrequently seen in 

the lagoon. About 65 endangered Hawaiian 

monk seals are usually present at Midway at 

any one time, and pupping levels have 

increased significantly since 1996, with a 

record number of 17 in 2004. However, as 

is common throughout the Hawaiian Islands, 

survivorship of juveniles is low and 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 19 

December 4, 2006

contributes to the critically endangered 

status of the species. 

Approximately 200-300 Hawaiian spinner 

dolphins rest within Midway’s lagoon and 

forage outside its reef. Bottlenosed, striped, 

spotted, and rough-toothed dolphins may 

occasionally be seen in the open ocean, as 

well as beaked, pilot, and endangered 

humpback whales. 

2.3 Historic Resources 

2.3.1 Early Cultural Resources 

Investigations 

Study of Midway’s heritage resources was 

initiated in 1986 by the National Park 

Service when it conducted a survey of 

World War II-era properties eligible for 

designation as a National Historic 

Landmark. Nine structures, all defensive 

positions on the west side of Sand Island, 

were identified on Midway that convey a 

close association with the pivotal Battle of 

Midway, including ammunition magazines 

(ARMCO huts), a pillbox, and gun 

emplacements. Later that year, the nine 

defensive positions on Sand Island identified 

as eligible by the National Park Service and 

surrounding buffer areas were designated as 

a landmark. 

Between 1992 and 1994, the Navy 

sponsored studies of the Naval Air Facility 

on Midway, including archival research, 

interviews, and field surveys. The initial 

field effort consisted of an architectural 

history survey of the structures, buildings, 

and objects located on Sand and Eastern 

Islands. A military historian specializing in 

Cold War history performed archival 

research and surveyed resources constructed 

after 1945. The historian concluded none of 

the Cold War facilities at Midway were 

eligible for the National Register of Historic 

Places because they lacked the exceptional 

importance necessary for resources less than 

50 years old. 

In addition to the landmark structures, 

69 buildings, structures, and objects 

associated with the 1903-1945 historic 

period on Sand and Eastern Islands were 

determined to be eligible according to 

criteria established for the National Register. 

The properties evaluated as significant are 

associated with three major themes: 

colonization, initial years of base 

construction and the Battle of Midway, and 

1942-1945 base construction. 

Archaeological surveys of Sand and Eastern 

Islands were conducted in 1992 and 1994. 

Surface inspections, 68 subsurface core 

samples, and 5 shovel-test units revealed no 

evidence of Polynesian/Hawaiian or pre1900 historic period cultural remains. A 

literature review of Hawaiian legends found 

numerous references to distant low-lying 

islands with abundant birds and turtles but 

no clear tie to Midway. However, like many 

low islands and atolls in the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands, Midway may have been 

visited by Polynesians/Hawaiians in their 

extended travels. Even prior to extensive 

military-era construction, these islands were 

periodically scoured by storms and high 

winds that may have removed or buried 

evidence of use. 

2.3.2 Programmatic Agreement and 

Treatment of Midway’s Historic 

Properties 

In 1996, the Navy’s Pacific Division, Naval 

Facilities Engineering Command; the 

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; 

and FWS signed a programmatic agreement 

directing how Midway Atoll’s historic 

properties were to be treated during the 

closure of Naval Air Facility Midway. 

These properties were assigned to one of six 
20 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

categories of preservation treatment: reuse 

and maintain, secure and abandon in place, 

abandon in place and leave as is, fill or 

cover, relocate, or demolish (see Appendix 

D). FWS was required to prepare a longterm Historic Preservation Plan, which it 

completed in 1999. 

2.3.3 Historic Preservation Plan 

The June 1999 Midway Atoll National 

Wildlife Refuge Historic Preservation Plan

defines a program to integrate historic 

preservation planning with the wildlife 

conservation mission of FWS at Midway 

Atoll. The plan focuses on the long-term 

management conditions and goals for 

preserving and stabilizing historic 

properties. It also recommends procedures 

for treating new discoveries, caring for 

museum collections, and implementing a 

visitor program that includes historic 

preservation work. The plan will be revised 

and updated over the coming year. In the 

future, the co-trustees will incorporate 

submerged cultural resource protection into 

such plans. 
Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 21 

December 4, 2006

Chapter 3 Limitations on the Visitor Program 

3.1 Visitor Access 

The wildlife treasury that makes Midway 

Atoll so special for visitors also requires 

certain restrictions be placed on visitors for 

the protection of plants and animals. As on 

all national wildlife refuges, wildlife takes 

priority. Albatross nesting within the main 

housing areas of Sand Island continues 

successfully, even in the presence of human 

residents, but management measures are 

necessary to control human access to the 

nesting habitat of more sensitive bird species 

and the beach areas frequented by monk 

seals and turtles. 

To maximize visitor safety and minimize 

wildlife disturbance and habitat degradation 

temporally, land-based visitor activities will 

be restricted to daylight hours (legal sunrise 

to legal sunset), and water-based to 1⁄2-hour 

after legal sunrise to 1⁄2-hour before legal 

sunset. 

To prevent disturbance of petrel and 

shearwater burrows, visitors and residents 

will be required during their initial 

orientation and through appropriate handout 

material to remain on paved or gravel roads 

and designated trails. The trails that are 

open for visitor use will be clearly marked 

on maps (see Figure 3.1.1). North Beach 

from Rusty Bucket to the fuel farm is 

considered a ‘trail.’ 

Most of the beaches on the western half of 

Sand Island are closed to public access to 

protect Hawaiian monk seals from 

disturbance, although there will be 

opportunities for beach viewing access from 

a primitive walking trail to designated 

viewing sites. “Turtle Beach,” located on 

the eastern side of Sand Island from the old 

seaplane ramp to Cross Point and several 

wetlands inhabited by endangered Laysan 

ducks are also closed to visitors. For visitor 

safety, the fuel farm and active airport 

runways are closed to the public, except for 

designated crossing points on the runways. 

Spit Island is closed to all public access, and 

Eastern Island is open only to visitors with 

FWS or FWS-trained escorts on scheduled 

trips. Since 1988, all beach areas (including 

all beach crest vegetation to its deepest 

extent inland), lagoon waters, and ocean 

waters to a depth of 20 fathoms – except on 

Sand Island and its harbor – have been 

designated critical habitat for Hawaiian 

monk seals. Power boats engaged in 

recreational activities are not allowed within 

buffer areas of at least 500 feet around 

Eastern, Spit, and most of Sand Island (see 

Figure 3.1.2). 

To protect threatened and endangered 

species, visitors are required to remain at 

least 150 feet away from Hawaiian monk 

seals, short-tailed albatrosses, and sea turtles 

on land or in the water. This distance is 

recommended under Watchable Wildlife 

guidelines. Disturbance or harassment of 

these species is a violation of the 

Endangered Species Act. Collection of live 

or dead wildlife, including feathers, bones, 

eggs, shells, and coral, also is prohibited 

under 50 CFR 27.61. Objects of antiquity 

are similarly protected from removal under 

50 CFR 27.62, and military shipwrecks and 

aircraft wrecks are also protected under the 

Sunken Military Craft Act of 2005 and other 

statutes. 
22 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Figure 3.1.1 Visitor Access Map 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 23 

December 4, 2006

Figure 3.1.2 Recreational Powerboat Buffer Area Map 
24 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

All visitor activities allowed under this 

interim visitor services plan, as authorized 

by the compatibility determinations found in 

Appendix F, will occur within the Midway 

Atoll Special Management Area. No 

excursions beyond that boundary will occur. 

Refuge staff and volunteers are working 

diligently to remove invasive species from 

Midway Atoll. Although the battle is far 

from won, we want to ensure no additional 

invasive species – particularly plants and 

insects – are inadvertently introduced to the 

atoll, or conversely, taken from Midway and 

introduced into Hawaii or elsewhere. To 

help prevent this, an inspection program will 

be implemented both before departure from 

Honolulu and before departure from 

Midway. All flights will originate from 

Hawaii to reduce the risk of invasive species 

reaching Midway. 

Passengers arriving by vessel are required to 

clean their footwear before coming ashore. 

Sailboats are inspected by FWS staff upon 

arrival and before docking to ensure they are 

rat free. 

In addition, all permitted vessels must have 

their hulls inspected and cleaned when 

required, including the visual inspection of 

anchors and tender vessels. Proclamation 

8031 prohibits the release of ballast water 

within the Special Management Area. 

Protocols have also been developed and will 

be enforced for the treating of snorkel and 

dive gear to prevent the inadvertent 

introduction of or transmission of alien 

species. 

To minimize conflicts between aircraft and 

birds in flight, all visitor flights from 

November through July will be scheduled to 

arrive and depart Midway at night, unless 

specifically authorized by the refuge 

manager. 

3.2 Visitor Capacity and 

Scheduling 

Many of Midway’s infrastructure systems 

(i.e., water, sewer, power generation) were 

originally designed to service a population 

of up to 5,000 individuals. However, Sand 

Island’s current population of FWS 

employees and volunteers, contractors, etc., 

is less than 100 people. FWS is concluding 

several millions of dollars of construction 

downsizing the primary infrastructure 

systems in order to create long-term 

efficiencies. These new, more economical 

systems are designed to support a population 

of no more than 200 individuals, including 

interagency personnel, volunteers, 

researchers, and visitors engaged in any 

activity. 

In order to ensure a quality visitor 

experience using the limited infrastructure 

currently available, the total number of 

overnight visitors allowed on Midway Atoll 

at any one time will be limited to 30 people 

in 2007 and 50 people in 2008 and beyond 

as long as this visitor services plan is in 

effect. At the present time, a maximum of 

24 rooms are available for visitors, which 

may be more restrictive than the 30 person 

limit depending on multiple occupancies of 

the same rooms. All visitors must stay in 

existing facilities; the policy to disallow 

camping continues due to potential impacts 

on wildlife habitat and the species 

themselves. Although visitors arriving by 

sailboat will not require rooms, they will 

still be counted toward the total number of 

visitors since they may require other 

infrastructure support such as fresh water 

and food. In addition to lodging, other 

factors such as the number of visitors who 

can be accommodated on the aircraft and in 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 25 

December 4, 2006

our dining facility limit the total number of 

visitors. 

Due to other infrastructure or visitor safety 

limitations, all visitors may not be able to 

engage in the same activity at one time (e.g., 

snorkel boat capacity, a limited number of 

approved guides, etc.). Children are 

welcome at Midway, though parents are 

cautioned that limited medical facilities are 

available in this remote location. Parents 

will be responsible for monitoring their 

children’s activities. 

This number of visitors may be exceeded for 

short duration (less than a day) prearranged 

visits by ocean vessels or aircraft. In these 

cases, visitor activities are closely 

supervised and primarily consist of guided 

tours or participation in commemorative 

events. 

For the next 5 years (2007-2011), visitor 

programs will operate from November 

through July, which coincides with the 

albatross season on Midway. To ensure the 

safety of visitors and enhance their 

experience on Midway, visitor programs 

will be concentrated in this 9-month 

timeframe. The months of August through 

October are reserved for planned 

construction and major maintenance 

activities. Very few rooms will be available 

during these months due to the number of 

contractors on island, and aircraft capacity 

will be needed both for contractors and 

supplies. 

3.3 Monitoring Visitor Impacts 

Midway Atoll monument staff will monitor 

the impacts of visitors and other users on 

wildlife and historic resources to ensure 

continuing compatibility, as required by 

monument and FWS policies. Monitoring 

methodology to assess impacts on seabirds, 

Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, corals, and 

fishes will be developed by the refuge 

biologist based on previous work on other 

refuges and protected areas, in consultation 

with the co-trustees. The visitor program 

supervisor, in consultation with the FWS’s 

and NOAA’s cultural resources program 

staffs, will monitor impacts on historic 

resources. 

Impact monitoring of marine resources will 

be conducted in partnership with NOAA 

using the multi-agency monitoring protocols 

developed collaboratively since 2000. In 

addition, the co-trustees will develop impact 

monitoring protocols for all activities in the 

Special Management Area including any 

impacts from the visitor service program. 

Based on FWS experience from 1996-2002, 

when up to 100 overnight visitors were 

allowed on Midway at any one time, we 

anticipate few impacts as long as visitors 

comply with refuge and monument rules and 

regulations. A refuge officer will be added 

to the staff to enforce these rules and 

regulations, as well as to assist with 

coordinated law enforcement throughout the 

monument. Under the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Administration Act, the 

refuge manager has the authority to close 

areas, halt activities, or restructure visitor 

programs if necessary to protect wildlife or 

historic resources or to ensure a quality 

visitor program. 

3.4 Midway Atoll Law Enforcement 

Activities 

Lands within the National Wildlife Refuge 

System are generally considered strict 

liability lands, where the visitor is 

responsible for knowing the rules. Because 

of the “closed until open” concept of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 
26 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended, 

everything is initially prohibited. Because 

entry into the monument is prohibited, this 

same concept applies. A refuge may be 

opened to particular uses or a suite of uses 

through a finding of appropriateness, when 

required, and approved compatibility 

determinations. The public may then be 

notified of this opening through one of 

several mechanisms found in Title 50 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations 25.31: 

conspicuously posted signs, special 

regulations published in 50 CFR 26.33, 

maps, or other appropriate methods that give 

the public actual or constructive notice of 

the permitted activity. 

At Midway, the public review and comment 

period associated with development of this 

plan, as well as issuance of the final plan, 

serve as constructive notice to the visitor 

under the strict liability standard. 

Additionally, the mandatory visitor 

orientation presentation within 24 hours of 

arrival; visitor access maps provided at that 

orientation, posted throughout the island, 

and contained in information notebooks in 

each room; signs; and other information 

found within the information notebooks 

located in each hotel room provide the 

visitor with additional actual or constructive 

notice. 

A visitor found in violation of these rules 

may be issued a Notice of Violation, or 

arrested in the most serious cases. A Notice 

of Violation usually includes an option for 

paying a fine under an established Forfeiture 

of Collateral Schedule or appearing in court 

before a Magistrate Judge. In addition, 

depending on the violation, other applicable 

laws and penalties will apply. 

Monument permits will incorporate all 

applicable requirements, and the signed 

monument permit also serves as actual 

notice of these requirements. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 27 

December 4, 2006

Chapter 4 Visitor Services Standards 

4.1 Overview 

The goals and objectives for this interim 

visitor services program at Midway Atoll are 

summarized in the table below. More 

detailed information, including strategies, is 

discussed under the visitor services 

standards that follow. A more 

comprehensive and detailed set of 

objectives, strategies, and possibly goals to 

address the atoll’s biological needs will be 

developed as part of the monument 

management plan and possibly an associated 

habitat management plan. The objectives 

and strategies associated with the biological 

goal and included in this plan are those with 

a tie to the visitor services program. Unless 

otherwise stated, the objectives and 

strategies would be implemented by FWS 

monument staff following plan approval. 

Management Goals Objectives 

Objective 1.1 Incorporate at least 75 percent of visitors 

staying 3 days or longer into the volunteer program for 

habitat restoration. 

Objective 1.2 Provide 25 percent of visitors staying 3 days 

or longer opportunities to assist with wildlife population 

monitoring as volunteers. 

Goal 1. Conserve and restore the 

natural diversity and abundance of 

native plants and animals, both 

terrestrial and marine, at Midway 

Atoll, emphasizing seabirds and 

shorebirds, threatened and 

endangered species, and coastal and 

marine communities within the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

ecosystem. 

Objective 1.3 Continue efforts to support the habitat 

restoration program sponsored by the Friends of Midway 

Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

Objective 2.1 During 2007, provide visitor opportunities 

for at least 100 overnight visitors. 

Objective 2.2 During 2008, reestablish a regularly 

scheduled visitor services program for at least 

500 overnight visitors.

Objective 2.3 Provide visitor opportunities for private 

sailboats and up to three cruise ships per year.

Objective 2.4 Ensure all visitors feel welcome, enjoy a 

safe experience, and understand refuge and monument 

rules and regulations during their stay on Midway Atoll. 

Objective 2.5 Within 3 years, improve wildlife viewing 

and photography opportunities for all visitors to Midway 

Atoll. 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, 

and people afar opportunities to 

discover, enjoy, and appreciate the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities. 

Objective 2.6 Work with and encourage qualified groups 

or individuals to develop specialized wildlife-dependent 

programs such as wildlife monitoring, photography, and 

art in 2008 and beyond. 
28 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Objective 2.7 Develop and provide biennial wildlifedependent teacher workshops targeting a mix of science 

teachers and teachers who do not have a strong science 

background or interest.

Objective 2.8: Beginning in 2008, facilitate at least two 

opportunities per year for accredited colleges, universities, 

or private/nonprofit environmental or historical 

organizations to conduct wildlife-dependent college level 

courses or administer informal educational camps.

Objective 2.9: In 2008, initiate a distance learning 

program from Midway Atoll to bring the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument to 

classrooms across the Nation.

Objective 2.10 By 2008, improve onsite interpretation and 

interpretive facilities to better educate visitors about 

Midway Atoll and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Objective 2.11 By 2008, develop at least two offsite 

exhibits and programs to educate the general public about 

the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Midway Atoll in 

particular.

Objective 2.12 Allow residents and visitors to engage in 

other recreational uses on Midway that have been 

determined to be compatible.

Objective 2.13 On a continuing basis, maintain outreach 

efforts to Midway’s diverse audiences to update them on 

the visitor program and wildlife-oriented news stories.

Objective 2.14 By November 2007, evaluate the 

effectiveness of the visitor program marketing effort.

Objective 2.15. Seek long-term well qualified volunteers 

to assist monument staff with the operation of the visitor 

services program. 

Objective 3.1 By 2008, improve onsite interpretation and 

interpretive facilities to better educate visitors about the 

Battle of Midway National Memorial and Midway’s 

human history.

Objective 3.2 By 2009, develop at least two offsite 

exhibits to educate the general public about the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial.

Objective 3.3 Work with and encourage qualified groups 

or individuals to develop specialized historical programs 

that honor the Battle of Midway.

Goal 3. Honor, maintain, and 

interpret the unique historical 

resources of Midway Atoll, with 

emphasis on its status as the Battle 

of Midway National Memorial. 

Objective 3.4 Working with partners, offer special events 

on Midway and at other offsite locations that honor its 

history.
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 29 

December 4, 2006

Objective 3.5 Seek grant funds to bring at least two groups 

of volunteers to Midway each year to work on historic 

restoration projects under the guidance of FWS’s cultural 

resources staff and/or historic preservation specialists.

Objective 3.6 Provide at least 15 percent of visitors 

staying 3 days or longer opportunities to assist with 

historic preservation tasks and activities. 

4.2 Welcome and Orient Visitors 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent recreational and educational 

activities. 

Objective 2.1 During 2007, provide visitor 

opportunities for at least 100 overnight 

visitors. 

Strategy 2.1.1 By February 2007, hire one 

FWS ranger (interpretation) or make 

arrangements for well-qualified volunteers 

to be based on Midway to develop and 

provide the orientation, guided tours, and 

customer service on the atoll. 

Strategy 2.1.2 Support efforts of monument 

co-trustees in hiring appropriate staff to 

support the visitor program on Midway 

Atoll. 

Strategy 2.1.3 Use existing FWS staff in 

Honolulu, Hawaii, to coordinate visitor 

scheduling, work with interested private 

organizations, and respond to visitor 

inquiries. 

Strategy 2.1.4 Limit the total number of 

overnight visitors to no more than 30 at any 

one time to match the existing infrastructure, 

ensure a quality program, and limit impacts 

to wildlife. 

Strategy 2.1.5 Work with private groups to 

arrange facilitated visits to Midway. 

Strategy 2.1.6 Offer a minimum of two 

week-long visits for independent travelers to 

come to Midway on less structured visits. 

Strategy 2.1.7 If funding is available, hire a 

supervisory outdoor recreation planner to 

further develop and coordinate the visitor 

program on Midway Atoll by October 2007. 

“We will assure that refuges are welcoming, safe, and 

accessible. We will provide visitors with clear information so 

they can easily determine where they can go, what they can do, 

and how to safely and ethically engage in recreational and 

educational activities. Facilities will meet the quality criteria 

defined in [policy]. We will treat visitors with courtesy and in a 

professional manner.” Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
30 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Discussion: Implementation of the visitor 

services plan will begin in 2007. Since 

Midway’s regularly scheduled visitor 

program ended early in 2002, most visitors 

have arrived by cruise ships or private 

sailboats and have remained on the island 

for only brief periods. Existing refuge staff 

have provided orientation sessions and tours, 

with assistance from offsite interpreters 

during cruise ship visits. We will use 2007 

as a startup year, phasing in the staffing and 

programs that will lead to a more complete 

visitor program in 2008 and beyond. 

At the present time, only four FWS 

personnel are stationed on Midway. All 

visitor services staff were removed from the 

atoll in 2002, and we will now begin hiring a 

new staff to work with Midway visitors. 

With the small size of the initial program, 

one interpreter will be hired early in 2007 to 

help with orientation sessions and tours, 

possibly followed by a supervisory outdoor 

recreation planner in October. This planner 

will have the primary responsibility for 

Midway’s visitor program, including 

program development, program 

implementation, program evaluation, 

coordination with NOAA, and supervision 

of the interpretive staff. This employee 

would provide direction for the visitor 

services sections of the comprehensive 

management plan and ultimately be 

responsible for developing a long-term 

visitor services plan for Midway in 

collaboration with monument co-trustee 

staff. Until this employee has been hired, 

FWS staff in Honolulu will continue to 

provide support for the Midway visitor 

program and solicit support from NOAA to 

augment this capacity. FWS will work with 

its contractor to identify additional 

contractor staffing needs for lodging, food 

service, and administrative work in support 

of the visitor program. 

The limit of no more than 30 overnight 

visitors on Midway at any one time during 

2007 reflects the limited capacity of our 

means of transportation and island 

infrastructure. Our Fiscal Year 2007 aircraft 

charter company operates a Gulfstream G-1 

aircraft with 19 seats and a weight capacity 

of 3,800 pounds. This aircraft also must 

carry all fresh food and mail to the atoll, and 

frequently supplies and emergency repair 

parts. It also transports FWS, contractor, 

and co-trustee staff to and from the atoll. 

Therefore, it is likely that no more than 

15 seats and usually fewer will be available 

on any flight. 

Of the 36 rooms in our guest lodging facility 

(Charlie Barracks), 24 rooms generally will 

be available for overnight guests at any one 

time (except from August through October). 

The remaining rooms may occasionally be 

available, but often will be occupied by offisland staff, co-trustee staff, and contractors. 

The seating capacity at Midway’s dining 

facility is likewise limited. Although meal 

times can be staggered to accommodate 

larger numbers of people on island, aircraft 

seating and lodging still limit the size of the 

program. 

Since 2002, various private groups have 

inquired about the possibility of bringing 

structured groups of people to Midway for 

2 to 7-day visits. FWS will encourage such 

visits, working with the organizers to 

arrange trips in the most cost-efficient 

manner possible. These groups will be led 

by a FWS-approved guide who has been 

thoroughly briefed in refuge and monument 

rules and regulations, and all proposed 

activities on Midway Atoll will be approved 

in advance by the refuge manager in 

compliance with monument regulations and 

necessary permit conditions. In addition, we 

will offer at least two 1-week periods when 

individuals may come to Midway to enjoy 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 31 

December 4, 2006

the atoll’s historic and wildlife resources in 

a less structured manner. Such visitors 

would participate in available guided 

activities, but would not be with an 

organized group. These independent 

travelers would require more oversight than 

organized groups, but still deserve the 

opportunity to visit their public lands. 

Objective 2.2 During 2008, reestablish a 

regularly scheduled visitor services 

program for at least 500 overnight 

visitors.

Strategy 2.2.1 By February 2008, solicit 

additional staff or qualified volunteers to 

support the visitor program on Midway 

Atoll. 

Strategy 2.2.2 By January 2008, evaluate 

existing island infrastructure to identify and 

seek solutions for shortcomings, considering 

longer-term regional field station needs and 

build-out. 

Strategy 2.2.3 By December 2007, seek 

larger capacity aircraft to service Midway 

Atoll on a regular basis. 

Strategy 2.2.4 Limit the total number of 

overnight visitors to no more than 50 at any 

one time to match the existing infrastructure, 

ensure a quality program, and limit impacts 

to wildlife. 

Discussion: An additional FWS ranger 

(interpretation) or qualified volunteer will be 

stationed on Midway to assist in providing 

orientation and interpretive programs and 

staff the interpretive facilities. A refuge 

officer (law enforcement) will also be hired 

to enforce rules and regulations on Midway 

and to assist with law enforcement 

throughout the monument. 

FWS monument staff, in coordination with 

NOAA, will evaluate other types of aircraft 

that could safely and more cost-effectively 

transport visitors to Midway Atoll. We will 

work with the Department of the Interior’s 

Office of Aircraft Services and NOAA’s 

Marine and Aviation Operations office to 

identify suitable potential bidders for an 

aircraft charter service. Our goal would be 

to be able to transport 25-30 visitors to and 

from Midway per flight. We will also 

evaluate the island infrastructure to identify 

additional needs for visitor housing, food 

services facilities, etc., for future planning 

and budget development purposes. 

Although we anticipate having no more than 

30 overnight visitors on island at any one 

time due to the same limitations described 

above, it may be possible during specific 

periods to increase this number to 50 people 

at one time if larger capacity aircraft were 

available. 

Objective 2.3 Provide visitor 

opportunities for private sailboats and up 

to three cruise ships per year. 

Strategy 2.3.1 Continue to allow private 

sailboat crews with prior approval to stop at 

Midway Atoll and moor in the inner harbor. 

All sailboats must obtain a monument 

permit and meet monument requirements 

during their voyage. 

Strategy 2.3.2 Continue to allow up to three 

cruise ships to visit Midway Atoll during 

any calendar year for 8-12 hour visits. 

These vessels will meet all refuge and 

monument cruise ship requirements. 

Discussion: Although the number of 

sailboats visiting Midway Atoll varies from 

year to year, the average number seeking 

prior permission to land is about five per 

year. Midway Atoll is not en route to 
32 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

normal sailboat destinations in the Pacific, 

and due to prevailing winds and currents, it 

is difficult to sail from Midway back to 

Honolulu. Those that do come to Midway 

generally stay only a few days, remaining 

overnight on their vessels. Occasionally 

they eat some of their meals at the Clipper 

House dining facility. 

For the past several years, Midway has 

hosted from one to four commercial cruise 

ships of varying passenger capacities for 

walking tours of Sand Island. The cruise 

ships anchor outside of the southern reef at 

the channel entrance and offload their 

passengers in groups of up to 90 in the 

ships’ tenders. These small boats come into 

the inner harbor, where the passengers 

disembark and are divided into two groups 

for a 2-hour walking tour along existing 

roads to specific sites where Fish and 

Wildlife Service, National Park Service, 

and/or volunteer interpreters provide 

informative talks. Each group is 

accompanied by tour guides from the ship to 

ensure the passengers remain on the clearly 

marked guided tour route. Visitors return to 

the cruise ship at the end of their walking 

tour. Some of these cruise ships have been 

on theme-based itineraries to World War II 

Pacific battlefields, while others have been 

more general in nature. Many visitors – 

including those on world tours – have 

remarked that their stop at Midway Atoll 

was one of their most enjoyable and 

educational experiences. 

Cruise ships must follow the monument’s 

requirements, including obtaining a 

monument permit, as well as numerous 

refuge requirements (see Appendix E). 

Cruise ship companies cover the cost of 

bringing additional interpreters to the island. 

In order to ensure that these short-term visits 

do not conflict with the overnight visitors, 

we will limit the number of cruise ship visits 

to no more than three per year. Since they 

are generally scheduled months in advance 

of the visit, we may be able to avoid 

scheduling overnight visitor trips at times 

when cruise ships will arrive. Prior to the 

arrival of the first cruise ship since 

establishment of the monument, the FWS 

will work with its monument partners to 

identify an appropriate anchoring/mooring 

site for ships outside the reef to minimize 

any possibility of damaging coral reef 

resources. 

Objective 2.4 Ensure all visitors feel 

welcome, enjoy a safe experience, and 

understand refuge and monument rules 

and regulations during their stay on 

Midway Atoll. 

Strategy 2.4.1 Ensure visitors with 

disabilities feel welcome at Midway and 

enjoy a quality experience. Opportunities to 

improve existing facilities for the disabled 

will be evaluated in 2007 and funding for 

improvements will be sought in 2008. 

Strategy 2.4.2 All visitors arriving at 

Midway Atoll will participate in a 

mandatory orientation briefing within 

24 hours after their arrival. 

Strategy 2.4.3 On an ongoing basis, 

maintain notebooks in each visitor room 

with maps and information on safety, 

wildlife viewing etiquette, regulations, and 

emergency contacts. 

Strategy 2.4.4 Staff the visitor center at 

least 4 regularly scheduled hours a day 

during workweeks so that visitors can ask 

questions and seek additional information. 

Strategy 2.4.5 By May 2007, develop and 

begin implementing a stepdown sign plan 

for Midway Atoll that will guide directional, 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 33 

December 4, 2006

regulatory, and interpretive signage for Sand 

Island. 

Strategy 2.4.6 By June 2007, ensure FWS’s 

contractor has a visitor satisfaction survey in 

place so that the visitor program can be 

monitored and appropriate adjustments can 

be made to enhance the visitor experience 

on Midway. 

Discussion: Opportunities to enhance 

accessibility for all visitors will be sought 

throughout implementation of the visitor 

program. Wheelchair-accessible lodging is 

currently available for visitors in Bravo 

Barracks on Sand Island. The boardwalk 

leading to the dining facility also is 

accessible. Due to Sand Island’s mostly flat 

terrain, most of the roads are passable for all 

visitors. A review of Midway’s facilities 

with particular attention to their accessibility 

was completed in 1997 and will be reviewed 

in 2007. 

Since 1995, all visitors arriving at Midway 

Atoll have been required to attend a 

mandatory orientation session led by FWS 

personnel, even those who may have 

participated in a pre-trip briefing. During 

this time, visitors learn about some of the 

natural and historical resources of Midway 

Atoll, rules and regulations that protect 

wildlife, and personal safety information. 

They are provided maps and other 

information to make their visit more 

enjoyable and educational. The schedule of 

the briefing varies by the time the 

aircraft/vessel arrives on Midway, but it 

always occurs within 24 hours. As a helpful 

reference, each guest room will have a 

notebook containing this information. 

These notebooks will be in place by April 

2007 and will be updated on a regular basis. 

Information on natural, military, and other 

hazards will be included in both the 

orientation and the reference notebooks. 

Staffing the visitor center at least 4 hours per 

day will allow visitors the opportunity to 

seek answers to any questions. During 

2007, when only one interpretive ranger will 

be present on Midway, this may not be 

possible, but as staffing increases, visitors 

will know where and when staff will be 

present at the visitor center to provide 

customer service. 

For cruise ships, briefings are either given 

on board the ship prior to arrival or, if no 

FWS-approved guides are on board, via 

written materials developed by the cruise 

ship company in coordination with FWS and 

monument co-trustees. Since all cruise ship 

visitors are guided in small groups from one 

site to another along existing roads, these 

methods of orientation suffice. 

We try to minimize the number of signs on 

Midway both to reduce impacts on wildlife 

and to allow visitors to have a more natural 

experience. Street signs have been lowered 

to minimize collisions by birds in flight. A 

new entry sign will be in place early in 

2007. During 2007, refuge staff will 

analyze the need for additional signage and 

complete a sign plan in consultation with 

NOAA. 

Because of the age of Midway’s 

infrastructure, the atoll’s harsh climate, and 

the difficulty of getting materials and 

supplies to the atoll, maintenance of visitor 

facilities is a major and expensive endeavor. 

Efforts will be made to improve these 

facilities during 2006-2011. However, to 

ensure a minimal level of funding is 

available, visitor program fees will be 

structured to cover maintenance costs for 

lodging and dining facilities, on-island 

means of transportation (e.g., golf carts and 

bicycles), and at least some of the 

interpretive facilities. FWS will also work 

with its other partners on Midway to seek 
34 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

funding for island infrastructure 

maintenance and repair. 

FWS’s contractor will design and implement 

a visitor satisfaction survey. A previous 

questionnaire distributed by a private partner 

at Midway provided valuable insight into 

how we could improve our visitor program. 

FWS, contractor, and co-trustee staff will 

work together to make appropriate changes 

to enhance the visitor experience based on 

this feedback. 

4.3 Provide Quality Hunting Opportunities 

 

Midway Atoll has no available hunting 

opportunities since all of its animal species 

are protected by law as either nongame 

species or threatened or endangered species, 

or they occur in numbers too low for harvest 

(e.g., migratory waterfowl).

4.4 Provide Quality Fishing Opportunities 

Consistent with relevant law, FWS grants 

wildlife-dependent public uses, including 

fishing, special consideration on national 

wildlife refuges. When determined 

compatible, wildlife-dependent public uses 

receive priority consideration over all other 

uses of a refuge. In this instance however, 

Midway Atoll is managed not just as a 

national wildlife refuge but as part of the 

Monument. In accordance with 

Proclamation 8031 “[r]emoving, moving, 

taking, harvesting, possessing, injuring, 

disturbing, or damaging; or attempting to 

remove, move, take, harvest, possess, injure, 

disturb, or damage any living or nonliving 

monument resource” is prohibited without a 

permit. The proclamation allows the 

Secretaries to issue special ocean use or 

recreational permits. However, activities 

authorized by special ocean use permits 

must be “conducted in a manner that does 

not destroy, cause the loss of, or injure 

monument resources.” Further, recreational 

permits cannot be issued for activities that 

“Fishing is a wildlife-dependent recreational use and, when 

compatible, an appropriate use of resources in the Refuge 

System. Fishing programs will meet the quality criteria defined 

in [policy] and, to the extent practicable, be carried out 

consistent with State laws, regulations, and management plans.” 

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 

“Hunting is a wildlife-dependent recreational use and, when 

compatible, an appropriate use of resources in the Refuge 

System. Hunting programs will meet the quality criteria 

defined in [policy] and, to the extent practicable, be carried out 

consistent with State laws, regulations, and management plans.” 

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 35 

December 4, 2006

result in the extraction of monument 

resources. 

A catch-and-release sportfishing program 

operated at Midway Atoll from 1996 to 

2001. Although it was believed to be a 

compatible activity at that time, NOAAFisheries personnel documented apparent 

declines in the frequency occurrence of large 

jacks (Caranx ignobilis and C. 

melampygus), likely “related to one or 

several ecotourism activities (recreational 

catch-and-release fishing, sport diving)” at 

Midway. FWS staff have also estimated 

about 30 percent mortality with the catch 

and release of moi (Polydactylus sexfilis), 

even when using one barbless hook. A more 

detailed analysis of sportfishing data is 

under development, and further research into 

human-induced alterations in fish behavior 

and possible physiological impacts of a 

lengthy capture process on fishes could be 

conducted. However, existing information 

strongly suggests that sportfishing, including 

catch-and-release fishing, results in injury to 

monument resources, which is contrary to 

direction in Proclamation 8031 establishing 

the monument. Therefore, sportfishing at 

Midway Atoll will not be permitted. 

4.5 Provide Quality Wildlife Observation and Photographic Opportunities 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities. 

Objective 2.5 Within 3 years, improve 

wildlife viewing and photography 

opportunities for all visitors to Midway 

Atoll. 

Strategy 2.5.1 Develop informational 

materials to enhance wildlife viewing 

opportunities by August 2007, including 

bird, fish, and other wildlife checklists and a 

wildlife viewing calendar and map. 

Strategy 2.5.2 Maintain and improve the 

West Beach trail by November 2007. 

Strategy 2.5.3 Construct a migratory 

bird/Laysan duck observation blind at the 

water catchment basin by March 2008. 

Strategy 2.5.4 Plant additional native 

vegetation to create a natural blind 

overlooking Turtle Beach by June 2007. 

Strategy 2.5.5 Provide water-based 

activities to observe marine ecosystems by 

June 2007. 

Strategy 2.5.6 Renovate the refuge’s 

pontoon boat to transport visitors to Eastern 

Island, snorkeling sites, etc. 

“Visitors of all ages and abilities will have an opportunity to 

observe and photograph key wildlife and habitat on the refuge 

when it is compatible with refuge purpose(s). Viewing and 

photographing wildlife in natural or managed environments 

should foster a connection between visitors and natural 

resources . . .. Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
36 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Strategy 2.5.7 By 2011, establish remote 

viewing cameras to transmit live video of 

terrestrial and marine species and their 

habitats to the visitor center and other 

locations beyond Midway Atoll. 

Discussion: At few other places in the 

world can visitors be so totally surrounded 

by wildlife. Midway’s seabirds have little 

fear of humans, and visitors are offered 

opportunities to observe and photograph 

them from the time they arrive until they 

leave. To enhance their experience and 

ensure their expectations are met, a wildlife 

calendar will be developed showing what 

species are present at Midway during each 

month of the year. Existing bird and fish 

checklists will be reviewed and updated, 

then printed for distribution. A wildlife map 

of Midway Atoll will show visitors where 

they might have the best opportunity to see 

specific wildlife species. These documents 

will also be available on the Midway Atoll 

website. 

In 1997, West Beach – wrapping all the way 

from Rusty Bucket around Frigate Point – 

was closed to protect Hawaiian monk seals 

that use the beach for resting and pupping. 

To continue to allow visitors to reach 

historic resources in that area and to expand 

their opportunities to see the wildlife 

resources of Midway, FWS constructed a 

trail through the ironwood forest adjacent to 

West Beach, in consultation with NOAAFisheries. At several locations along the 

trail, spur trails leading to overlooks were 

marked and native vegetation planted to 

create natural wildlife viewing blinds. 

Though generally left as a self-guided tour 

for visitors to explore, FWS also offered a 

guided West Beach trail tour approximately 

once every week. 

A few sections of the trail need additional 

maintenance work to ensure their safety for 

visitors, and wildlife viewing blinds will be 

re-evaluated to ensure their effectiveness in 

screening visitors from resting monk seals. 

FWS will work with NOAA-Fisheries staff 

on this project. In addition, signs will be 

posted along a section of trail so hikers 

avoid disturbing Laysan ducks, Midway’s 

newest endangered species. 

Unlike the albatrosses and some other 

seabird species, Laysan ducks are frequently 

secretive and wary of humans. To increase 

opportunities for visitors to see this highly 

endangered species, an accessible 

observation/photography blind will be 

constructed at the water catchment basin by 

March 2008. Construction will take place 

offsite to the extent possible, and be placed 

at the basin between December and March 

to minimize disturbance to Laysan ducks 

and the migratory birds that also use this 

pond. If needed, a spotting scope may be 

added to the blind to enhance viewing 

opportunities. 

Turtle Beach is closed to visitors, but with 

additional screening visitors could observe 

the resting sea turtles without disturbing 

them. Native plants such as naupaka 

(Scaevola sericea) will be planted in 2007 to 

create a natural blind for visitors adjacent to 

the road. 

A limited water-based wildlife observation 

program will begin in 2007, using existing 

refuge boats or those of the co-trustees. In 

2008 and beyond, FWS and its partners will 

seek additional resources to expand the 

program. Because of the inherent safety 

concerns of any water-based activities, 

particularly in such a remote location, strict 

standards and rules will be established and 

enforced before any visitors are allowed to 

engage in these activities. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 37 

December 4, 2006

We will offer snorkeling and kayaking 

opportunities during daylight hours only 

(one-half hour after sunrise and one-half 

hour before sunset) to learn about and enjoy 

Midway’s marine resources. Beginning in 

2007, small groups of up to eight snorkelers 

per guide may be taken by FWS-approved 

guides to specified locations within the 

lagoon to enjoy snorkeling within the lagoon 

and adjacent to the reef (except within the 

500-foot buffer zone identified in Figure 

3.1.2). Snorkeling sites may be rotated to 

reduce marine impacts. Visitors also will be 

permitted to snorkel near the cargo pier. 

Use of the “buddy system” is required. 

Guided kayaking tours of the lagoon will 

also be offered in 2008 in groups of no more 

than six kayaks. All participants will be 

carefully instructed in kayak safety and 

wildlife/marine resource viewing etiquette 

before launching the boats. Kayaks 

launched from Sand Island may tour from 

the cargo pier across the northern beach, 

around Rusty Bucket to Frigate Point. All 

kayak tours must remain at least 150-feet 

from shore to avoid disturbing resting monk 

seals on the beach. FWS or FWS-approved 

kayak guides will be trained in kayak 

operation and in radio contact with 

employees on Sand Island. Individuals may 

not take kayaks out on their own. No 

kayaking will be allowed within 500 feet of 

Eastern Island or Spit Island. 

Visitors may also want to explore the coral 

reefs in waters outside the lagoon through 

SCUBA diving. Refuge and monument 

staff will evaluate the feasibility of offering 

a diving program in 2008 or beyond. If a 

diving program is determined to be feasible, 

refuge and monument staff will develop 

guidelines and monitoring protocols and 

ensure proper diving equipment is available 

and regularly serviced and maintained. 

As a preliminary step toward a dive 

program, the refuge manager has determined 

guided dive tours focused on wildlife 

observation and photography would be a 

compatible wildlife-dependent use (see 

Appendix F.1). If offered, divers would be 

accompanied by a certified master diver, 

with a maximum of one dive master per six 

divers. The dives would be specialized for 

divers interested in marine life and 

underwater photography, and all NOAAFisheries guidelines for viewing marine 

mammals and sea turtles would be met. No 

night diving would be allowed due to 

increased shark activity. Typically, this 

would be a seasonal activity, generally from 

May through September when the seas are 

calmer. 

Although live-aboard dive cruises are 

offered on the Island of Hawaii and many 

other areas of the Pacific, Midway’s remote 

location would mean vessels would need to 

be in transit for many days before reaching 

the atoll to dive, and that they would need to 

transit the waters of the monument. It seems 

highly unlikely such a vessel could meet the 

environmental standards required of vessels 

within the monument. Any request for such 

use at Midway Atoll would require the 

approval of both FWS and NOAA, in 

consultation with the State of Hawaii. 

Cruise ships are only onsite for sufficient 

time to allow terrestrial tours and 

occasionally the opportunity to swim off the 

North Beach. No other alternatives (e.g., 

snorkeling or diving) for cruise ship 

passengers will be allowed. All 

requirements outlined in the compatibility 

determinations for wildlife observation and 

nonwildlife-dependent recreational activities 

would apply. 

As technology improves and funding 

becomes available, we will work with our 

co-trustees to provide opportunities to 
38 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

broadcast live images of sensitive species 

such as the short-tailed albatross, Hawaiian 

monk seal, and Laysan duck and coral reef 

habitats to the visitor center on Sand Island 

and perhaps to the main Hawaiian Islands 

(such as at the Mokupapapa Discovery 

Center in Hilo) and beyond through the 

National Marine Sanctuary Program’s web 

portal (http://www.oceanslive.org/portal/). 

Objective 2.6 Work with and encourage 

qualified groups or individuals to develop 

specialized wildlife-dependent programs 

such as wildlife monitoring, photography, 

and art in 2008 and beyond. 

Strategy 2.6.1 Conduct research to identify 

appropriate vendors and initiate contact to 

introduce Midway Atoll and its 

opportunities for visitors.

Discussion: In the Midway Atoll National 

Wildlife Refuge Visitor Program Market 

Analysis and Feasibility Study, Pandion 

Systems, Inc., recommended several target 

audiences within the broad category of 

sustainable ecotourism, including 

specialized programs such as service 

learning activities, photography tours, 

writing and artist workshops, and 

educational tours. The FWS and monument 

co-trustees agree and will explore 

opportunities to reach such vendors in 2007 

and beyond. Since these programs generally 

bring a leader/guide/instructor with them, 

we need only ensure their understanding and 

compliance with rules and regulations and 

provide local expertise as needed. All such 

proposed activities will be reviewed and 

approved by the refuge manager in 

consultation with the co-trustees. 

4.6 Develop and Implement Quality Environmental Education Programs 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities. 

Objective 2.7 Develop and provide 

biennial wildlife-dependent teacher 

workshops targeting a mix of science 

teachers and teachers who do not have a 

strong science background or interest.

Strategy 2.7.1 Working with the Navigating 

Change Educational Partnership, including 

the State of Hawaii Department of 

Education and co-trustees, bring together a 

“Through curriculum-based environmental education packages 

based on national and State education standards, we will 

advance public awareness, understanding, appreciation, and 

knowledge of key fish, wildlife, plant, and resource issues. 

Each refuge will assess its potential to work with schools to 

provide an appropriate level of environmental education. We 

may support environmental education through the use of 

facilities, equipment, educational materials, teacher workshops, 

and study sites that are safe, accessible, and conducive to 

learning.” Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 39 

December 4, 2006

small focus group of Navigating Change 

teachers by December 2007 to design a 

standards-based workshop to be conducted 

for other teachers on Midway. 

Strategy 2.7.2 Implement a week long 

teacher workshop on Midway conducted and 

developed by the teacher focus group in 

2008. 

Discussion: The goal of these biennial 

teacher workshops is to inspire a new group 

of teachers to use environmental education 

as a method of connecting students to 

wildlife. Over the past 5 years, the partners 

have joined together to create Navigating 

Change, a project conceived by the 

Polynesian Voyaging Society and focused 

on raising awareness and ultimately 

motivating people to change their attitudes 

and behaviors to better care for our islands 

and ocean resources. A standards-based 

educational curriculum for fourth and fifth 

graders was released by the partnership in 

2005, and more than 15 workshops have 

been conducted on the main Hawaiian 

Islands to introduce the curriculum to local 

teachers. The major themes included within 

the curriculum could provide the stepping 

stones for future development of educational 

activities such as telepresence and distance 

learning projects. 

The target date for the first actual teacher 

workshop on Midway would be spring or 

early summer 2008. Agency planning will 

begin early 2007, and the members of the 

teacher focus group will be selected by 

August 2007. By December 2007, the focus 

group will have met on Midway for a week 

to design the future workshop as well as 

upper grade level curriculum components as 

an extension of Navigating Change. Funds 

to support any teacher workshop on Midway 

will need to be generated by grants, nonFWS Federal or State funds, or by the 

teachers themselves. The 2008 teacher 

workshop and beyond will be conducted 

mainly by the focus group teachers with the 

Navigating Change Educational Partnership 

and co-trustees providing support. 

Approximately 15 teachers could participate 

in each workshop. 

Objective 2.8: Beginning in 2008, 

facilitate at least two opportunities per 

year for accredited colleges, universities, 

or private/nonprofit environmental or 

historical organizations to conduct 

wildlife dependent or historical college 

level courses or administer informal 

educational camps. 

Strategy 2.8.1 During 2007, seek partners 

who may be interested in offering 

educational programs on Midway Atoll and 

set schedules for trial courses or camps in 

2008. 

Strategy 2.8.2 By March 2008, FWS staff 

will develop, design, and offer a mandatory 

1-day orientation that all guides and 

instructors must attend before hosting a class 

on Midway for the first time. 

Strategy 2.8.3 Assist with classes/camps on 

Midway, providing guidance to avoid 

impacts on wildlife resources and 

monitoring group activities. 

Discussion: Organizations have already 

shown their interest in using Midway for 

educational experiences, since it provides 

unparalleled wildlife dependent educational 

opportunities. Organizations will be held 

responsible for providing instructors and 

leading their participants. FWS will provide 

guidance during the mandatory advance 

orientation. When possible, FWS or 

monument staff can provide learning 

opportunities that engage participants in 

biological and historical projects such as 
40 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

habitat restoration or historic preservation. 

FWS staff will also monitor group activities 

to ensure Midway’s wildlife and historic 

resources are protected. 

Objective 2.9: By January 2011, evaluate 

the feasibility of conducting a distance 

learning program from Midway Atoll. 

Strategy 2.9.1 Working with our monument 

partners, study the physical feasibility of 

offering a long distance environmental 

education program from Midway Atoll. 

Discussion: The Service has long been 

interested in offering a distance learning 

program from Midway, but doing so from 

such a remote location is challenging. As 

technologies improve, we will work with 

NOAA and the State of Hawaii to evaluate 

the possibility of establishing such a 

program that could bring the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands into Hawaii classrooms in 

particular, but also to other educational 

venues. In order to provide support for staff, 

researchers, and distance learning, NOAA 

has offered to install high-speed satellite 

uplinks on Midway Atoll. 

4.7 Provide Quality Interpretation of Key Resources 

The rich natural and human history of 

Midway Atoll provides a unique opportunity 

to promote visitor understanding of and 

appreciation for America’s natural and 

historic resources. Interpretation provides 

opportunities for visitors to make their own 

connections to the resource so that a sense of 

stewardship and respect for these resources 

develops. To ensure our interpretive 

products remain focused, we develop 

interpretive themes that guide development 

of all interpretive products on the refuge. 

The primary interpretive themes for Midway 

Atoll are: 

• Encircled by the earth’s largest ocean, 

these small islands and coral reefs – just like 

those throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands – provide a scarce and safe haven for 

diverse native wildlife species to raise their 

young; to rest, grow, and play; and to 

survive into the future. 

• Unique and remote atolls host complex 

reef ecosystems dominated by apex 

predators and rich in species found nowhere 

else in the world. 

• Just as human actions can destroy 

wildlife and their habitat, through sound 

science and special care, people can restore 

island ecosystems to benefit both wildlife 

and mankind. 

• Throughout history, Midway has served 

as a vital outpost for humans as they 

explored their world, expanded their 

horizons, protected their boundaries, and 

sought peace in the world. 

• Brave young men – far from home and 

loved ones – risked their lives at Midway to 

defend America, and in doing so, turned the 

“We will communicate fish, wildlife, habitat, and other 

resource issues to visitors of all ages and abilities through 

effective interpretation. We will tailor core messages and 

delivery methods to provide interpretation to refuge visitors and 

present them in appropriate locations.” 

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 41 

December 4, 2006

• tide of war in the Pacific to ensure our 

freedom. 

These themes are designed to encompass the 

tremendous wildlife and historical treasury 

found at Midway. Through a variety of 

interpretive methods, these themes will be 

conveyed to our visitors. 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and 

people afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, 

and appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities. 

Objective 2.10 By 2008, improve onsite 

interpretation and interpretive facilities 

to better educate visitors about Midway 

Atoll and the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands. 

Strategy 2.10.1 Offer wildlife-oriented 

guided tours to all visitors on at least a 

weekly basis. 

Strategy 2.10.2 Develop and install wildlife 

interpretive panels along remote trails and in 

viewing blinds to educate visitors and 

encourage proper wildlife viewing etiquette 

by December 2007. 

Strategy 2.10.3 Transition the wildliferelated visitor center into a Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands Marine National 

Monument visitor center by September 

2008, to provide an educational window to 

the monument. 

Strategy 2.10.4 Provide additional 

opportunities for visitors to learn about 

ongoing management and research projects 

through field talks and evening programs. 

Strategy 2.10.5 Offer evening programs in 

the Midway theater, including slide talks, 

videos, and other presentations on Midway’s 

natural and human history. 

Strategy 2.10.6 Support and monitor the 

Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife 

Refuge gift store. 

Discussion: The refuge interpreters will 

offer guided walks and bicycle/golf cart 

tours focused on natural history themes on at 

least a weekly basis. To ensure a quality 

experience, tour groups will be no larger 

than 25 people (except during cruise ship 

visits). Tour routes will vary depending on 

the physical ability of the participants, the 

weather, and wildlife use patterns. All 

visitors should have the opportunity to tour 

Sand Island. Dependent upon the weather 

and availability of transportation, visitors 

may also have the opportunity to have a 

guided tour of Eastern Island, which will 

combine both natural and historic resource 

features. Tours on Eastern Island generally 

walk from the boat pier to and along the 

historic World War II runways and Battle of 

Midway memorials. All beaches on Eastern 

Island are closed to visitors to protect 

Hawaiian monk seals and sea turtles. 

Self-discovery and exploration is a key 

component of the Midway experience. To 

enhance their experience, interpretive panels 

regarding Midway’s natural resources will 

be placed at a limited number of remote 

locations along existing trails on Sand 

Island. These panels may include reminders 

of wildlife viewing etiquette, as appropriate. 

The natural resource interpretive exhibits in 

the Midway visitor center will be reviewed 

for currency and updated as necessary, 

working in cooperation with the co-trustees. 

Researchers and biologists will be 

encouraged to offer field talks to describe 

their work and/or provide insights into the 
42 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

world of individual wildlife species. 

NOAA-Fisheries has expressed an interest 

in providing guided tours to view monk 

seals in an unobtrusive manner, and 

frequently researchers provide presentations 

or demonstrations to broaden knowledge of 

their activities. By better understanding the 

needs of each species for its survival, 

visitors will gain knowledge of how they 

can help protect these animals. 

Over the years, numerous films and 

documentaries about the Battle of Midway 

and other aspects of the atoll’s history and 

its wildlife have been produced. Sharing 

these with visitors in the historic Midway 

theater enhances their learning experience 

and enjoyment. 

Through the Friends of Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge, a gift store on 

Midway offers visitors the opportunity to 

purchase Midway Atoll-related items such 

as books, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, 

tee shirts, and note cards. Refuge staff will 

monitor sales items to ensure they accurately 

interpret refuge and monument natural and 

historic resources. These items will also be 

available on the Friends website, broadening 

the distribution of these interpretive 

materials. 

Objective 2.11 By 2008, develop at least 

two offsite exhibits and programs to 

educate the general public about the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 

Midway Atoll in particular. 

Strategy 2.11.1 In 2007, develop and install 

a visitor access exhibit in NOAA’s 

Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo, 

Hawaii, as part of the updating of the 

facility. 

Strategy 2.11.2 Work with the other venues 

to incorporate information about Midway 

Atoll and the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands in their exhibits. 

Discussion: Since the number of visitors to 

Midway Atoll will always be relatively 

small, FWS will work with partner entities 

to provide information about the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Midway 

Atoll to a broader audience. The 

Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo, 

Hawaii, averages 60,000 visitors per year, 

informing them about the new monument. 

As funding is available, FWS will work with 

NOAA to incorporate an exhibit about 

Midway Atoll and visitor opportunities. 

Additional opportunities, such as within the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands exhibit at 

the Waikiki Aquarium, will be sought in 

2008 and beyond. 

Goal 3. Honor, maintain, and interpret the 

unique historical resources of Midway Atoll, 

with emphasis on its status as the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial. 

Objective 3.1 By 2008, improve onsite 

interpretation and interpretive facilities 

to better educate visitors about the Battle 

of Midway National Memorial and 

Midway’s human history. 

Strategy 3.1.1 Offer a history-oriented 

guided tour to all visitors on at least a 

weekly basis. 

Strategy 3.1.2 Update the self-guided Sand 

Island historical tour map and leaflet by 

June 2007. 

Strategy 3.1.3 Install history-related 

interpretive panels at significant sites by 

June 2007. 

Strategy 3.1.4 Establish a temporary 

museum/library with history-related exhibits 

on Midway Atoll by June 2007. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 43 

December 4, 2006

Strategy 3.1.5 As funding is made available, 

develop an interpretive plan for a permanent 

museum/library in a restored historic 

building to recognize and honor Midway’s – 

and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands’ – 

distinguished history. 

Strategy 3.1.6 Partner with NOAA to 

develop interpretive materials and displays 

about the submerged cultural sites 

(shipwrecks and aircraft) located within the 

Monument to enhance existing historic 

interpretation. 

Discussion: Much like the natural history 

tours, historic resource guided tours will be 

offered by refuge staff on at least a weekly 

basis. To ensure a quality experience, tour 

groups will be no larger than 25 people 

(except during cruise ship visits). 

Depending upon the physical ability of the 

participants, the weather, the length of the 

tour route, and the potential impacts on 

wildlife, these tours may be on foot, by 

bicycle, or by golf cart. On Sand Island, the 

history tour will be separate from the 

wildlife-oriented tour; on Eastern Island, 

both topics will be covered in one visit. 

Sand Island’s historic structures are found in 

all corners of the island. A self-guided 

historic resource tour map with descriptive 

information was developed in 1996 and will 

be updated for current visitor use. 

Interpretive panels regarding several of 

Midway’s historic resources were produced 

in 2002. Because the regularly scheduled 

visitor program was no longer active, the 

panels were temporarily placed on portable 

stands for use only during cruise ship visits. 

Now that visitors are returning on a more 

regular basis to Midway, these panels will 

be mounted as originally planned at their 

designated sites to bring history to life along 

the self-guided tour. 

History-related exhibits are currently housed 

on the first floor in the airport hangar. 

Because that location is rarely visited by 

visitors and because the building is 

deteriorating, the exhibits will be moved to a 

new temporary location early in 2007. The 

new site will be more readily accessible to 

visitors. 

In the longer term, one of the historic 

buildings – probably within the “Midway 

Mall” – will be restored to house a 

permanent museum/library. In accordance 

with the Midway Atoll National Wildlife 

Refuge Historic Preservation Plan, FWS 

does not plan to acquire materials currently 

preserved in museums, archival institutions, 

and private collections to bring them to 

Midway’s harsh environmental conditions. 

It is more appropriate to acquire copies of 

such materials for Midway, allowing the 

originals to remain secured at existing 

facilities or in a repository in Hawaii. 

Interpretive exhibits will be developed to 

reflect all of Midway’s “eras,” from 

prerecorded history to discovery, to 

shipwrecks and the Commercial Pacific 

Cable Company days, the Pan American 

Flying Clipper period, the Battle of Midway, 

and on through the Cold War and Vietnam 

conflicts. Broader based exhibits about 

cultural and historic sites throughout the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands will also be 

developed in partnership with NOAA’s 

cultural resources program and the State of 

Hawaii. 

Objective 3.2 By 2009, develop at least 

two offsite exhibits to educate the general 

public about the Battle of Midway 

National Memorial. 

Strategy 3.2.1 Seek partnership 

opportunities in Honolulu, Hawaii’s Pearl 

Harbor Historic District to provide their 
44 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

visitors with information about the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial. 

Strategy 3.2.2 Work with the U.S. Navy’s 

Naval Historical Center to explore the 

possibility of including the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial in their facility 

and/or with the National Park Service at the 

National World War II Memorial in 

Washington, D.C. 

Discussion: In establishing the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial, FWS was 

charged with helping others keep knowledge 

of this important battle alive for future 

generations. With a limited and expensive 

visitor program at Midway Atoll, we need to 

look beyond the memorial’s boundaries to 

reach a far broader audience. In the near 

term, our first efforts will be at Pearl Harbor 

with its many World War II in the Pacific 

themed attractions. We will also seek 

partners to help place an exhibit in 

Washington, D.C. 

Objective 3.3 Work with and encourage 

qualified groups or individuals to develop 

specialized historical programs that 

honor the Battle of Midway. 

Strategy 3.3.1 Conduct research to identify 

appropriate vendors or groups and initiate 

contact to introduce the Battle of Midway 

National Memorial and its opportunities for 

visitors. 

Discussion: FWS will explore opportunities 

to bring historical tours, either through 

commercial tour groups or veterans 

organizations, to Midway Atoll in 

recognition of its status as the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial. All such tours 

will be reviewed and approved through the 

monument permitting process. 

4.8 Manage for Other Recreational Use Opportunities 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities.

Objective 2.12 Allow residents and 

visitors to engage in other recreational 

uses on Midway that have been 

determined to be compatible.

Strategy 2.12.1 Allow residents and visitors 

to ride bicycles and jog for exercise on 

existing roads. 

Strategy 2.12.2 Allow residents and visitors 

to play tennis and volleyball at designated 

facilities. 

“We may allow other recreational uses that support or enhance 

one of the wildlife-dependent recreational uses or minimally 

conflict with any of the wildlife-dependent recreational uses 

when we determine they are both appropriate and compatible. 

We will allow uses that are either legally mandated or occur 

due to special circumstances.” 

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 45 

December 4, 2006

Strategy 2.12.3 Allow beach uses such as 

swimming and sunbathing for visitors and 

residents. 

Strategy 2.12.4 Allow amateur radio use 

from Midway Atoll in accordance with 

stipulations that make the use compatible. 

Discussion: The refuge manager has 

determined that several forms of 

nonwildlife-dependent recreation are 

compatible with the Refuge System mission 

and the refuge purposes, and therefore 

monument permits may include special 

conditions to allow them. These activities 

will take place only during daylight hours on 

Sand Island, and most are within developed 

areas. Bicycling and jogging will be 

restricted to hard surface roads, including 

along the edges of the runway, or along the 

cart path of the West Beach trail. Volleyball 

will only be allowed in the designated court 

area adjacent to the Captain Brooks facility. 

The tennis court is located at the airport 

hangar building. 

Swimming and sunbathing may only occur 

on the open public beach along the northern 

shore of Sand Island during daylight hours 

(from one-half hour after sunrise to one-half 

hour before sunset) for visitor safety. Use of 

the “buddy system” will be required. 

During the mandatory orientation session, 

visitors will be advised of appropriate 

behavior if a monk seal or sea turtle 

approaches them in the water. 

Because of potential bird strikes on amateur 

radio antennae, limitations will be placed on 

this use. Visitors who can operate with 

indoor antennae or with antennae shorter 

than 5 feet in height may operate their 

equipment on Midway. Placement of the 

outdoor antennae must be approved by the 

refuge manager.

4.9 Communicate Key Issues with Off-Site Audiences 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities.

Objective 2.13 On a continuing basis, 

maintain outreach efforts to Midway’s 

diverse audiences to update them on the 

visitor program and wildlife-oriented 

news stories. 

“Effective outreach depends on open and continuing 

communication and collaboration between the refuge and its 

many publics. Effective outreach involves determining and 

understanding the issues, identifying audiences, listening to 

stakeholders, crafting messages, selecting the most effective 

delivery techniques, and evaluating effectiveness. If conducted 

successfully, the results we achieve will further refuge 

purpose(s) and the Refuge System mission.” 

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
46 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Strategy 2.13.1 On a continuing basis, 

update the monument and refuge websites 

with current information about the visitor 

program and wildlife viewing opportunities. 

Strategy 2.13.2 On an as-needed basis, issue 

news releases and write articles for 

publication in newsletters, magazines, or 

other periodicals to keep key publics 

informed about the visitor program on 

Midway Atoll and wildlife issues throughout 

the monument. 

Strategy 2.13.3 Continue to support 

reporters and documentary filmmakers in 

developing appropriate articles and 

films/television productions about the 

wildlife and history of Midway Atoll. 

Discussion: Midway Atoll, the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial, and the new 

monument have been highly visible in the 

public eye for some time. The atoll has a 

broad following by government officials, 

Members of Congress, veterans’ 

organizations, environmental organizations, 

media, former residents, past and potential 

visitors, World War II historians, and others 

who can be defined as “key publics.” 

Rather than being “local community” 

members, Midway’s supporters are spread 

across the Nation and around the world. 

As individual issues arise regarding 

Midway, refuge staff on Midway and in 

Honolulu will work together with their 

counterparts in the monument to reach out to 

our publics with timely and accurate 

information. The Midway Atoll website 

(http://www.fws.gov/midway) and 

monument website 

(http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov) will be 

continuously updated with news of 

Midway’s wildlife, ongoing visitor 

activities, Battle of Midway-related events, 

and other monument-related topics. News 

releases will be issued to the media as 

appropriate, and information or articles for 

periodicals will be provided as requested. 

Documentary filmmakers and videographers 

will be accommodated to the extent possible 

under monument permits so that we can 

reach the broadest audiences. 

Objective 2.14 By November 2007, 

evaluate the effectiveness of the visitor 

program marketing effort. 

Strategy 2.14.1 Assess the need to contract 

with a marketing firm to promote the visitor 

program. 

Discussion: Although FWS will promote 

the visitor program at Midway to the best of 

its ability, the specialized skills of a 

marketing company may be needed to 

develop sufficient demand to make the 

program financially self-sustaining. If the 

evaluation indicates additional work is 

needed, FWS would work closely with the 

marketing firm to ensure appropriate and 

accurate information is distributed to target 

audiences. 

Goal 3. Honor, maintain, and interpret the 

unique historical resources of Midway Atoll, 

with emphasis on its status as the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial.

Objective 3.4 Working with partners, 

offer special events and programs on 

Midway and at other offsite locations that 

honor its history. 

Strategy 3.4.1 Commemorate the 65th

anniversary of the Battle of Midway with a 

special event on Midway Atoll on June 4, 

2007. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 47 

December 4, 2006

Strategy 3.4.2 Work with outside entities to 

sponsor history-related programs and events 

on Midway. 

Strategy 3.4.3 Seek other venues and 

opportunities to participate in special events 

that connect to Midway’s history. 

Discussion: Occasionally, special events 

will be offered at Midway, particularly in 

relation to its status as the Battle of Midway 

National Memorial. As staffing allows, we 

will also participate in other offsite events to 

bring the history of Midway to larger 

numbers of people. 

On June 4, 2007, FWS will sponsor a special 

event to commemorate the 65th anniversary 

of the Battle of Midway. We are currently 

seeking a charter aircraft to aid in transport 

to Midway on that date. A cruise ship also 

has scheduled a visit to Midway to 

participate in the event and tour the island. 

FWS continues to believe the historic 

aspects of Midway Atoll are an important 

draw for visitors. In addition to 

organizations such as the International 

Midway Memorial Foundation, which is 

dedicated to honoring and preserving the 

memory and values of the Battle of Midway, 

many individuals who were stationed on 

Midway during the Cold War era have 

expressed an interest in returning to the atoll 

with their families. 

4.10 Build Volunteer Programs and Partnerships with Midway Atoll Support 

Groups 

Goal 1. Conserve and restore the natural 

diversity and abundance of native plants and 

animals, both terrestrial and marine, at 

Midway Atoll, emphasizing seabirds and 

shorebirds, threatened and endangered 

species, and coastal and marine 

communities. 

Objective 1.1 Incorporate at least 

75 percent of visitors staying 3 days or 

“Volunteer and Friends organizations fortify refuge staffs with 

their gifts of time, skills, and energy. They are integral to the 

future of the Refuge System. Where appropriate, refuge staff 

will initiate and nurture relationships with volunteers and 

Friends organizations and will continually support, monitor, 

and evaluate these groups with the goal of fortifying important 

refuge activities. The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 

1998 strengthens the Refuge System’s role in developing 

effective partnerships with various community groups. 

Whether through volunteers, Friends organizations, or other 

important partnerships in the community, refuge personnel will 

seek to make the refuge an active community member, giving 

rise to a stronger Refuge System.” 

Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, 605 FW 1 
48 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

longer into the volunteer program for 

habitat restoration. 

Strategy 1.1.1 Plan weekly invasive plant 

pulling parties to involve visitors in invasive 

weed control. 

Strategy 1.1.2 Provide trash bags for 

visitors to take with them as they walk along 

the open beach so they can collect marine 

debris as they find it. 

Strategy 1.1.3 Schedule monthly beach 

cleanups to pick up marine debris on closed 

beaches where monument staff have 

determined no monk seals or sea turtles are 

resting. 

Discussion: Hand pulling of weeds is labor 

intensive, but it is also an effective tool in 

the continuing battle against invasive plant 

species. On most areas of Midway Atoll, 

the sandy substrate makes weed pulling 

relatively easy. Many visitors want to “give 

something back” to the wildlife during their 

time on the atoll, and this activity will help 

restore acres of habitat for nesting seabirds. 

Beach cleanups are also a valuable tool, not 

only to protect wildlife species but also to 

educate visitors about the marine debris 

problem. By involving them in cleanup 

efforts, they are more likely to seek 

solutions and educate others about the 

problem. Refuge or other designated 

biologists would first ensure no resting 

monk seals or sea turtles are present in the 

stretch of beach to be cleaned. Areas to be 

cleaned would be rotated around the islands 

from one month to the next so that all 

beaches would be cleaned twice a year, if 

possible. 

Objective 1.2 Provide 25 percent of 

visitors staying 3 days or longer 

opportunities to assist with wildlife 

population monitoring as volunteers. 

Strategy 1.2.1 As refuge staff or long-term 

biological volunteers are available, offer 

interested visitors the opportunity to assist 

with seabird monitoring and banding 

activities. 

Strategy 1.2.2 As refuge staff, U.S. 

Geological Survey-Biological Resources 

Discipline staff, or long-term biological 

volunteers are available, allow interested 

visitors the opportunity to assist with Laysan 

duck monitoring activities. 

Discussion: Much like the habitat 

restoration work above, visitors gain a better 

appreciation for wildlife and their needs 

with direct involvement in a monitoring 

program. All such work would be under the 

direct supervision of a trained biologist to 

prevent impacts on the animals. This 

program will be limited in size and nature, 

and will be continually monitored by the 

refuge biologist and refuge manager to 

ensure it is useful to both the wildlife and 

the visitor. 

Objective 1.3 Continue efforts to support 

the habitat restoration program 

sponsored by the Friends of Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge. 

Strategy 1.3.1 Support the Friends of 

Midway Atoll invasive plant eradication and 

native plant restoration project on Midway 

from November 2006 to March 2007. 

Strategy 1.3.2 Support further grants to 

allow the Friends of Midway habitat 

restoration assistance project to continue in 

future years. 

Discussion: The Friends of Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge has been awarded 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 49 

December 4, 2006

a $25,000 grant from the National Fish and 

Wildlife Foundation’s Pulling Together 

Initiative to support a collaborative effort 

between FWS, the Friends group, and the 

Biological Conservation Assistance Program 

to control Verbesina encelioides or golden 

crownbeard on Midway Atoll and reestablish native vegetation in important 

wildlife habitat. They will be bringing two 

groups of volunteers (about 15 people in 

total) to Midway from December 2006 

through March 2007. In November 2006, 

FWS will hire two year-round biological 

technicians to work on Verbesina control 

full time. During the Friends group 

volunteers’ time on Midway Atoll, they will 

also participate in the development of 

educational materials about invasive species. 

After leaving Midway, volunteers will 

communicate their experiences and what 

they have learned about invasive species to 

their communities and beyond. If additional 

funding can be found in future years, this 

project will be repeated annually for at least 

5-10 years or until golden crownbeard is 

manageable with refuge staff or eradicated. 

Goal 2. Offer visitors, residents, and people 

afar opportunities to discover, enjoy, and 

appreciate the Northwestern Hawaiian 

Islands ecosystem through wildlifedependent activities. 

Objective 2.15. Seek long-term well 

qualified volunteers to assist monument staff 

with the operation of the visitor services 

program. 

Discussion: As a complement to Midway 

Atoll’s ongoing biological volunteer 

program, we will offer opportunities for 

qualified volunteers to assist with 

interpretive programs on Midway. 

Monument staff will explore the possibility 

of offering an intern program for college 

students or other similarly trained 

volunteers. 

Goal 3. Honor, maintain, and interpret the 

unique historical resources of Midway Atoll, 

with emphasis on its status as the Battle of 

Midway National Memorial.

Objective 3.5 Seek grant funds to bring at 

least two groups of volunteers to Midway 

each year to work on historic restoration 

projects under the guidance of FWS’s 

cultural resources staff and/or historic 

preservation specialists. 

Strategy 3.5.1 In 2007, apply for a Save 

America’s Treasures (SAT) grant for 

historic rehabilitation work on Midway 

Atoll. 

Discussion: The SAT grant requires a 

50/50 match, which FWS can accrue 

through volunteer service, direct 

contributions, or material donations. FWS 

received a SAT grant in 1999 that included 

termite control work, theater building 

window restoration, a condition assessment 

report for the interior of the theater and the 

Commercial Pacific Cable Company 

Station, reroofing of one cable building, 

restoration of an ARMCO hut, and 

collection of oral histories and memorabilia. 

A similar program could be reinitiated in the 

future. 

Objective 3.6 Provide at least 15 percent 

of visitors staying 3 days or longer 

opportunities to assist with historic 

preservation tasks and activities. 

Strategy 3.6.1 Much like the habitat 

restoration projects, volunteers will be 

offered opportunities to help accomplish 

historic preservation tasks that require few 

technical skills. 
50 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

Discussion: FWS’s Cultural Resources 

Team or Historic Preservation Specialist 

will update the list yearly or as needed to 

meet the refuge staff recommendations. 

Volunteers could greatly facilitate the 

maintenance of historic resources and give 

the public a greater appreciation and 

involvement with historic preservation. 

4.11 Refuge Law Enforcement 

At the present time, Midway Atoll does not 

have a law enforcement officer on staff, and 

a law enforcement zone officer in Honolulu 

or other refuge officer in Hawaii provides 

support on an as-needed basis. As the 

visitor program grows, a law enforcement 

position will be added to the Midway staff. 

This position will also assist with law 

enforcement issues for the monument. 

4.12 Concession Operations 

Because this is an interim visitor program 

until the monument management plan is 

completed, we do not currently envision 

operating with a concessionaire under this 

visitor services plan. This small-scale 

program will allow visitors to return to 

Midway Atoll without further delay. 

Developing a solicitation for a 

concessionaire, seeking proposals, and 

evaluating them can take up to a year to 

complete. 

The one exception to this could be a 

snorkeling/SCUBA diving concession, 

which was briefly discussed above in the 

wildlife observation standard. If interest is 

expressed in such a program, FWS and its 

co-trustees will evaluate the feasibility of a 

diving concession at Midway in 2008 or 

beyond. 

As we develop the monument management 

plan, we will evaluate the possibility of 

operating the broader visitor program 

through a concession. 

4.13 Fee Programs 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge has 

charged access fees for its visitor program 

since 1997, when it received approval under 

the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. 

That program has now been renamed the 

Recreation Fee Program, established 

through the Federal Lands Recreation 

Enhancement Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-

447). Almost all of the original fee program 

sites transitioned into the new program. The 

entrance fee for Midway Atoll National 

Wildlife Refuge is $5.00 per person per day. 

With no additional FWS funding available 

to support a visitor program, the refuge has 

been charged by FWS with developing a 

visitor program that is financially selfsustaining. To help us meet this goal, 

Congress has also given the refuge receipts 

authority, which allows the refuge to keep 

reasonable fees collected for services 

provided at Midway Atoll. These fees will 

be used to offset costs of implementing the 

visitor services program. 

The following fee schedule reflects actual 

costs for visiting Midway. The entrance fee 

is collected under the authority of the 

Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. 

Lodging and meal fees cover additional 

hotel and food services staffing, hotel 

supplies, and food costs. The visitor fee is 

collected under Midway’s receipt authority 

and contributes toward the cost of additional 

refuge staffing or extended on-island 

volunteers needed to work with visitors, as 

well as enhancing visitor facilities. The onisland transportation rental fees will enable 

repair and replacement of these items as 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 51 

December 4, 2006

necessary. Round-trip airfare is based on 

the actual cost of the flight, divided by the 

number of passengers that can be 

accommodated on the aircraft. 

Table 4.13.1 Visitor Program Fee Schedule 

Description Fee 

Entrance fee $5 per day 

Round trip airfare $2,000 per person 

Lodging $125 per night 

Meals $45 per day 

Visitor fee $55 per day 

Bicycle rental (optional) $5 per day 

Golf cart rental (optional) $25 per day 

Snorkel rental (optional) $25 per week 

In the Midway Atoll National Wildlife 

Refuge Visitor Program Market Analysis 

and Feasibility Study, Pandion Systems 

surveyed similar tourism providers to 

ascertain a typical cost range. Excluding 

transportation costs, typical costs ranged 

from $200 to $400 per day. Thus the 

Midway fees above are considered 

reasonable for the experience offered. 

FWS recognizes the extremely high airfare 

costs associated with our current charter 

aircraft. As indicated in Objective 2.2 

above, we will continue to seek a more costefficient means of transportation for our 

visitors. 

4.14 Permitting 

General Permit Requirements 

As part of the newly established monument, 

activities within the Midway Atoll Special 

Management Area will be managed 

differently than at other national wildlife 

refuges. Typically, and with few 

exceptions, lands and waters within the 

Refuge System, including Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge, are closed to all 

public access and use unless FWS has 

specifically opened the use or use program 

on that refuge. The process of opening a 

refuge includes planning, appropriateness 

review and compatibility determinations, 

public review and comment, and NEPA 

compliance. Some uses, such as sport 

fishing or hunting, may also require the 

adoption of refuge-specific regulations 

under the Administrative Procedure Act 

involving public comment and publication 

in the Federal Register. Throughout the 

Refuge System, this process is used to open 

a refuge for general access, a particular use, 

or suite of uses. The refuge manager may 

also require a special use permit for 

specialized uses. 

However, Proclamation 8031 alters the 

regulatory regime under which the Midway 

Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is operated 

as part of the monument. The Proclamation 

established new requirements and methods 

of management throughout the NWHI. By 

overlaying the Midway Atoll and Hawaiian 

Islands National Wildlife Refuges, the 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef 

Ecosystem Reserve, and State of Hawaii 

marine refuge with the monument, the 

proclamation created a mechanism to ensure 
52 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

the co-trustees provide consistent, unified 

management while meeting their respective 

obligations under other applicable statutes 

and regulations. Specifically, the Midway 

National Wildlife Refuge is a location where 

the FWS conducts compatibility 

determinations in consultation with the cotrustees to aid the Secretaries of Interior and 

Commerce, in their discretion, to issue a cosigned monument permit in one of six 

permit categories described in the 

proclamation, provided the Secretaries find 

the activities: 

(i) is research designed to further 

understanding of monument resources 

and qualities; (ii) will further the 

educational value of the monument; (iii) 

will assist in the conservation and 

management of the monument; (iv) will 

allow Native Hawaiian practices; 

(v) will allow a special ocean use; or 

(vi) will allow recreational activities. 

Furthermore, the Secretaries may not issue 

any permit unless they find: 

• the activity can be conducted with 

adequate safeguards for the resources and 

ecological integrity of the monument; 

• the activity will be conducted in a 

manner compatible4

 with the management 

direction of this proclamation, considering 

the extent to which the conduct of the 

activity may diminish or enhance monument 

resources, qualities, and ecological integrity, 

and indirect, secondary, or cumulative 

effects of the activity, and the duration of 

such effects; 

• there is no practicable alternative to 

conducting the activity within the 

monument; 

 

4

 Note the use of this word is not necessarily 

consistent with the same terminology from the 

Administration Act and FWS policy and regulations 

promulgated thereunder. 

• the end value of the activity outweighs 

its adverse impacts on monument resources, 

qualities, and ecological integrity; 

• the duration of the activity is no longer 

than necessary to achieve its stated purpose; 

• the applicant is qualified to conduct and 

complete the activity and mitigate any 

potential impacts resulting from its conduct; 

• the applicant has adequate financial 

resources available to conduct and complete 

the activity and mitigate any potential 

impacts resulting from its conduct; 

• the methods and procedures proposed by 

the applicant are appropriate to achieve the 

proposed activity’s goals in relation to their 

impacts to monument resources, qualities, 

and ecological integrity; 

• the applicant’s vessel has been outfitted 

with a mobile transceiver unit approved by 

NOAA Office of Law Enforcement and 

complies with the requirements of this 

proclamation; and 

• there are no other factors that would 

make the issuance of a permit for the 

activity inappropriate5. 

The six categories of monument permits are: 

1. Conservation and Management; 

2. Native Hawaiian Practices; 

3. Research; 

4. Education; 

5. Recreation; and, 

6. Special Ocean Use. 

Permits for Visitor Services at Midway 

Atoll 

Permit applications for visitor services at 

Midway Atoll will be considered using the 

findings required by Proclamation 8031 as 

described above. As discussed in sections 

 

5

 Note the use of this word is not necessarily 

consistent with the same terminology from the 

Administration Act and FWS policy and regulations 

promulgated thereunder 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 53 

December 4, 2006

4.5-4.10, 4.12, and 4.13, the plan anticipates 

recreational, ecotourism, volunteer, and 

educational activities, which would require 

monument permits in the recreation, special 

ocean use, conservation and management, or 

education categories. 

Additional Requirements for Individual 

Recreational Uses 

Recreational uses conducted by individuals 

at Midway Atoll, such as snorkeling from 

North Beach, must also comply with 

additional requirements. For the purposes of 

this chapter, the monument recreation permit 

requirement applies to recreational visitors 

and transients within the Midway Atoll 

Special Management Area. The Secretaries 

may not issue a recreation permit unless 

they find: 

• the activity is for the purpose of 

recreation when defined as “an activity 

conducted for personal enjoyment that does 

not result in the extraction of monument 

resources and that does not involve a feefor-service transaction” 

• the activity is not associated with any 

for-hire operation; and 

• the activity does not involve any 

extractive use. 

Additional Requirements for Commercial 

Recreational Uses 

Commercial enterprises offering recreational 

use opportunities at Midway Atoll must 

comply with not only the special ocean use 

permit requirements from the proclamation 

(see Appendix C), but also two additional 

requirements: 

• the Secretaries find the activity furthers 

the conservation and management of the 

monument; and 

• the refuge manager has found the use 

compatible with the purposes for which 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was 

designated. 

For the purposes of this chapter, a FWS 

special use permit as described in the 

Administration Act or regulation or 

associated policy at the Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge would instead be 

issued as a monument special ocean use 

permit. 

Permits for Recreational6

 Uses within 

Midway Atoll Special Management Area 

The permitting regime for the visitor 

services program for compatible wildlifedependent recreational uses within the 

Midway Atoll Special Management Area 

will be as follows. This plan makes a 

distinction between visitors (those who visit 

Midway Atoll specifically to participate in 

some form of recreational, historical or 

memorial-related activity covered under this 

plan) and transients (those who visit 

Midway Atoll to conduct work or other 

permitted activities but wish to recreate in 

their off-duty hours) and island residents. 

Island residents include FWS staff 

(employees and volunteers), NOAA staff, 

and various resident contractors living on 

Midway Atoll. Island residents’ 

participation in recreational activities is part 

of the FWS’ morale, welfare, and recreation 

program. As such, it is covered under the 

FWS’ conservation and management 

monument permit and is not discussed 

further in this plan. However, all morale, 

welfare, and recreation activities must 

adhere to all other requirements and 

stipulations; it is only in the form of 

permitting that these activities may differ. 

 

6

 “Recreational” is used here as defined in the 

National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act 

of 1966, as amended. 
54 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

This visitor services plan and its associated 

findings of appropriateness, compatibility 

determinations, and environmental 

assessment evaluate broad categories of 

recreational uses which will generally be 

allowed or prohibited. Visitors and 

transients who desire to participate in any 

one of the uses approved within this plan 

may apply for a monument permit. 

However, in order to be user-friendly and 

minimize paperwork, these individuals will 

be provided a monument permit application 

as part of their registration forms instead of 

using the unified application process in 

advance. This paper form will generally 

follow the unified monument permit 

application. Monument recreation permits 

are free under this interim visitor services 

plan, and valid for the remainder of the 

existing Federal fiscal year (October 1 – 

September 30 of the following calendar 

year). 

The Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

refuge manager is responsible for 

summarizing all individual monument 

permits issued as described above during a 

fiscal year for FWS’s annual public use 

report and the monument permit tracking 

system. 

The minimum information to be collected 

includes the full name and signature of 

applicant, home address and telephone 

number, types of approved uses in which 

permission is sought to engage, date(s) of 

participation, approximate time spent in 

each activity, etc. 

Commercial enterprises who wish to offer 

fee-for-service visitor opportunities in 

accordance with this plan may apply for a 

monument special ocean use permit using 

the unified monument permit application. 

These monument special ocean use permits 

include permission “to transit the monument 

as necessary to enter the Midway Atoll 

Special Management Area” and will be 

issued in accordance with all proclamation 

special ocean use findings, criteria, and 

requirements, such as being valid for no 

more than 5 years, requiring the provider to 

carry insurance or a bond, etc. These 

permits will carry a variable fee based on 

recovering the government’s cost in 

reviewing, issuing, and monitoring the 

permit under this interim visitor services 

plan. These permits may also include a per 

passenger fee, profit-sharing agreements, or 

use of government facilities. 

Nothing in this plan is intended to limit the 

ability of the co-trustees to actively seek forprofit enterprises to enter into concession 

agreements or other legal relationships to 

provide specific for-fee services that help 

achieve refuge and monument purposes or 

goals and this plan. 

Emergency Provisions 

In addition to Proclamation 8031’s 

exemption to prohibitions for emergencies 

and law enforcement activities (“The 

prohibitions required by this proclamation 

shall not apply to activities necessary to 

respond to emergencies threatening life, 

property, or the environment, or to activities 

necessary for law enforcement purposes”), 

the Administration Act contains similar 

provisions which apply only to the national 

wildlife refuge portions of the monument. 

These provisions are: 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this 

Act, the Secretary [of the Interior] may 

temporarily suspend, allow, or initiate any 

activity in a refuge in the [National Wildlife 

Refuge] System if the Secretary [of the 

Interior] determines it is necessary to protect 

the health and safety of the public or any 

fish or wildlife population. 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 55 

December 4, 2006

These provisions include, but are not limited 

to, compatibility and permitting 

requirements. Recreational uses previously 

found to be appropriate and compatible may 

be suspended for the protection of human 

health, life, or safety; property; general 

environment; or fish or wildlife population. 

The refuge manager’s execution of these 

provisions should be conducted in 

consultation with the monument co-trustees 

in advance when practicable, or as quickly 

as practicable once the immediate 

emergency or threat has passed. 

4.15 Cooperating 

Association/Friends Groups 

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is 

fortunate to have a dedicated support group 

in the form of the Friends of Midway Atoll 

National Wildlife Refuge. This nonprofit 

group was formed in 1999 and currently has 

more than 200 members from across the 

Nation. The Friends group was formed to: 

• support Midway Atoll National Wildlife 

Refuge in its efforts to preserve, protect, and 

restore the biological diversity and historical 

resources of Midway Atoll, while providing 

opportunity for wildlife-dependent 

recreation, education, and scientific 

research. 

• make available interpretive and 

educational books and pamphlets primarily 

through retail book sales outlets and free 

distribution to add to the visitor’s 

understanding of the refuge’s management 

problems and programs, the natural and 

historic resources of the area, the Refuge 

System, and FWS. 

• contribute funds, goods, and services for 

FWS interpretation, recreation, and 

educational programs. Interpretive, 

recreational, and educational facilities may 

also be constructed, rehabilitated, or 

maintained with the use of Friends 

donations. 

The Friends of Midway Atoll operate a gift 

store on Midway, making such refuge or 

monument-related items as books, posters, 

postcards, coffee mugs, tee shirts, and note 

cards available to visitors and residents. 

Donations from the Friends group are used 

to improve, maintain, and update Midway 

Atoll’s interpretive, educational, 

recreational, or biological programs or 

facilities. In the past, the Friends have 

purchased bicycles for the refuge and 

financially supported the annual albatross 

count by volunteers. They sought grants to 

fund invasive species control work by 

volunteers that will begin in 

December 2006. 
56 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

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Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 57 

December 4, 2006

Chapter 5 Implementing the Plan 

5.1 Proposed Staffing 

Current FWS staffing at Midway Atoll 

includes a refuge manager, assistant refuge 

manager, wildlife biologist, equipment 

operator, and administrative officer 

(stationed in Honolulu). With the very 

limited visitor program currently operating 

at Midway Atoll, this staff has been able to 

provide occasional tours. When cruise ships 

are scheduled to stop at Midway, the cruise 

ship company covers the cost of bringing 

additional visitor services staff to the atoll 

from the main Hawaiian Islands. 

This interim plan includes activities that can 

be implemented with funded staff, but 

longer term development of the visitor 

program will likely require additional staff. 

These could include a supervisory outdoor 

recreation planner, a refuge law enforcement 

officer, and two refuge interpretive rangers. 

Long-term qualified volunteers may also 

assist with staffing. In addition, our 

operations contractor will need to hire 

additional staff to support the visitor 

program. These positions will be phased in 

over the next 2 years as the program is 

implemented. Staffing may also be 

augmented by other monument staff from 

NOAA or the State of Hawaii should those 

resources become available. 

5.2 Table of Projects 

The table below summarizes the various strategies and projects outlined in this visitor services 

plan. Implementation of these projects is dependent upon the availability of funding. 

Table 5.2.1 Summary of Strategies/Projects 

Strategy Project Target Date 

2.1.1 Hire Refuge Ranger (Interpretation) 02/28/2007 

2.4.3 Complete reference notebooks for visitor rooms 04/30/2007 

3.4.1 Apply for Save America’s Treasures grant 04/30/2007 

2.4.5 Complete Midway Atoll sign plan 05/31/2007 

3.1.2 Update self-guided Sand Island historical tour 

map/leaflet 

05/31/2007 

3.1.3 Install history-related interpretive panels 05/31/2007 

3.1.4 Create temporary Battle of Midway National 

Memorial museum/library 

05/31/2007 

2.3.2 Working with NOAA, identify appropriate 

anchoring/mooring site for cruise ships 

05/31/2007 

2.5.4 Plant additional native vegetation as blind for 

Turtle Beach 

05/31/2007 

2.4.7 Work with contractor to implement visitor 

feedback form 

06/01/2007 

3.3.1 Conduct special event to commemorate 65th

anniversary of the Battle of Midway 

06/04/2007 

2.5.6 Rehabilitate refuge pontoon boat for short-term 

visitor program use 

06/10/2007 

2.5.5 Acquire new snorkel gear for visitor program 06/10/2007 

2.5.1 Develop wildlife viewing calendar 08/31/2007 
58 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

December 4, 2006 

2.5.1 Develop bird and fish checklists 08/31/2007 

2.10.3 Update wildlife-related visitor center exhibits 09/30/2007 

2.1.6 Hire Supervisory Outdoor Recreation Planner 10/31/2007 

2.14.1 Assess need to seek marketing expertise 11/30/2007 

2.5.2 Improve West Beach trail 11/30/2007 

2.10.2 Develop and install wildlife interpretive panels 12/31/2007 

2.8.1 Initiate a distance learning program from Midway 

Atoll 

12/31/2007 

2.7.1 Design standards-based workshop for teachers on 

Midway 

12/31/2007 

2.5.5 Work with NOAA to evaluate feasibility of dive 

program 

12/31/2007 

2.8.1 Seek partners interested in offering education 

programs on Midway 

12/31/2007 

2.2.3 Seek larger capacity aircraft to service Midway 

Atoll NWR on a regular basis 

12/31/2007 

2.11.1 Develop and install exhibit at Mokupapapa 

Discovery Center 

12/31/2007 

 Update Midway Atoll Historic Preservation Plan 12/31/2007 

2.2.2 Complete evaluation of existing island 

infrastructure to identify and seek solutions for 

shortcomings 

01/31/2008 

2.2.1 Hire refuge law enforcement officer 02/28/2008 

2.2.1 Hire second Refuge Ranger (Interpretation) 02/28/2008 

2.5.3 Construct observational blind at water catchment 

basin 

03/31/2008 

2.7.2 Implement teacher workshop on Midway 09/01/2008 

2.8.2 Implement wildlife-dependent college educational 

classes or educational camps 

09/30/2008 

2.5.6 Acquire new vessel for visitor services program 09/30/2008 

3.2.1 Develop Battle of Midway National Memorial 

interpretive exhibit in Pearl Harbor Historic 

District 

12/31/2008 

3.2.2 Develop Battle of Midway National Memorial 

interpretive exhibit in Washington, D.C. 

12/31/2008 

3.1.5 Develop and implement interpretive plan for 

Battle of Midway National Memorial 

museum/library 

09/30/2009 

2.5.7 Establish remote viewing cameras on sensitive 

species 

12/31/2010 

 Rehabilitate historic housing to support visitor 

program 

Dependent 

upon 

availability of 

funding 

 Enhance Charlie Barracks Dependent 

upon 

availability of 

funding 

 Replace roof on Charlie Barracks Dependent 

upon 

availability of 

funding 
 

Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 59 

December 4, 2006

5.3 Partnership Funding and Resources 

Midway Atoll has several partnering 

opportunities with other government 

entities. Henderson Field, Sand Island’s 

airport, is operated in partnership with the 

Department of Transportation’s Federal 

Aviation Administration (FAA). Significant 

funding has been provided by FAA to not 

only operate the facility but to upgrade its 

facilities to meet their Part 139 standards. In 

addition to serving Midway Atoll needs, the 

airfield is operated as an emergency landing 

site for twin-engine aircraft flying across the 

Pacific Ocean. 

As part of the monument, the refuge also 

partners with NOAA’s National Marine 

Sanctuary Program, which shares 

jurisdiction for the monument with FWS. 

We are also committed to working with the 

State of Hawaii on monument programs and 

issues. Opportunities to share resources and 

projects with these entities will bring 

enhanced efficiencies and effectiveness to 

all of our work in the Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands. 

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service 

also monitors Hawaiian monk seals on 

Midway. It is also establishing a monk seal 

“captive care and release” program on 

Midway to enhance survivability rates for 

female monk seal pups as a cooperative 

conservation effort between NOAA, FWS, 

and nongovernmental organizations. 

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement 

provides significant support by enforcing 

monument regulations, including at Midway 

Atoll. 

Another Department of the Interior agency, 

the U.S. Geological Survey, worked with 

refuge staff to bring the endangered Laysan 

duck to Midway, establishing only the 

second wild population of the species in the 

world. The National Park Service has 

provided funding for historic preservation 

on Midway through the “Save America’s 

Treasures” program and has also provided 

interpreters to assist with guided tours when 

large groups visit Midway. 

Together, FWS and its co-trustees 

coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard as 

they exercise their law enforcement, search 

and rescue, and medical evacuation 

responsibilities in the central Pacific. The 

Coast Guard is working with FWS to store 

aircraft fuel on Midway for mission-related 

use, and occasionally crews will stay on 

Midway during extended operations. 

The monument co-trustees also partner with 

universities to conduct research on Midway 

that will lead to better management of its 

resources and with documentary filmmakers 

and photographers who broaden public 

knowledge of Midway’s wildlife and 

historic resources. 

Other valued partners include our dedicated 

refuge volunteers, who generally give 

3 months or more of their time working on 

Midway, and the Friends of Midway Atoll, 

our refuge support group. 
60 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

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Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

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Appendices 

A Glossary of Terms 

B Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Program Market Analysis and Feasibility 

Study, Conclusions and Recommendations 

C Presidential Proclamation 8031, Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

Marine National Monument 

D Programmatic Agreement Among the Pacific Division, Naval Facilities Engineering 

Command, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service 

E Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Cruise Ship Requirements 

F Appropriateness Findings and Compatibility Determinations 

 F.1 Wildlife Observation and Photography 

 F.2 Environmental Education and Interpretation 

 F.3 Participatory Management/Research 

 F.4 Airport Operation (for Nonadministrative Purposes) 

 F.5 Nonwildlife-dependent Beach Use 

 F.6 Nonwildlife-related Outdoor Sports 

 F.7 Amateur Radio Use 

G Draft Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Visitor Services Program at Midway 

Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the Battle of Midway National Memorial 

H ESA Section 7 Consultations 

I List of Preparers 

J Summary of Public Comment and FWS’s Responses 

K Record of Decision 
60 Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge 

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Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and

Hawaiian and Pacific Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Box 50167

Honolulu, Hawaii 96850

808/792 9530

http://www.fws.gov/midway

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument

6600 Kalanianaole Highway, Suite 300

Honolulu, Hawaii 96825

808/397 2660

http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov

December 2006