Midway Atoll: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Faces Many Competing Priorities
Published: 2016-06-02T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: Midway, a trio of islands about 1,300 miles from Honolulu, has been managed by FWS as a wildlife refuge since the closure of a naval base in 1996. Midway also serves as a national memorial to a historic World War II battle. GAO was asked to review FWS's management of Midway.
This report examines (1) funding for operations and projects on Midway for fiscal years 2009 to 2015, (2) how FWS maintained historic properties on Midway and the extent to which it consulted with key parties and sought public comment, (3) challenges FWS faces in reestablishing a public visitation program, and (4) the use of Midway's Henderson Airfield.
GAO visited Midway in April 2015 to observe the condition of historic and other properties. GAO reviewed budget data for Midway from fiscal years 2009 through 2015; reviewed laws, policies, and regulations on historic preservation; examined public visitation plans, emergency landing data, and the use of the airfield; and interviewed FWS, FAA, and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation officials and other stakeholders.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: According to officials in the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), operations funding for Midway Atoll (Midway) has decreased in recent years and project-specific funding has varied. Specifically, budget officials said that FWS, after increasing the funding allocated to Midway's operations to more than $4 million by fiscal year 2011, decreased Midway's allocation by more than $1 million by fiscal years 2012 and 2013. These officials said that the lower allocation led to suspension of public visitation on Midway in November 2012, which, in turn, decreased operations funding available from fees collected for services such as lodging. Midway has also received funding for specific projects, such as lead-based paint abatement. In addition, under an interagency agreement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reimbursed FWS up to $3 million per year for the direct costs of operating Midway's Henderson Airfield and provided additional funds for capital improvement projects, such as resurfacing runways.
FWS has maintained most historic properties on Midway but has demolished others without providing for public notice and involvement, which is not consistent with the regulations implementing section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. A 2000 order by the Secretary of the Interior directs FWS to administer Midway in accordance with the law. Federal agencies must provide the public with notice of and opportunity to comment on agency actions that may affect historic properties. Since 2012, FWS has demolished seven historic properties on Midway as part of the agency's removal of lead-based paint and taken another action adversely affecting historic properties without providing adequate public notification, including directly notifying parties that have previously expressed interest in historic preservation issues on Midway, and an opportunity for public comment. An FWS official said that the extent of such notification may vary based on the size of the actions. However, officials with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation said that groups known to have a high level of interest should be notified directly. Without providing public notification, including ensuring that such parties are notified about future actions that may adversely affect historic properties, FWS will not have reasonable assurance that it is adequately seeking public comment and input under the section 106 process.
Since the suspension of public visitation to Midway in 2012, FWS faces multiple challenges relating to personnel, infrastructure, supplies, and transportation access to reestablish the program. For example, the building used to house visitors is almost beyond the point of repair and renovation, according to a 2009 assessment of its condition. FWS officials estimated that $1.2 million in annual funding would be needed to reestablish a public visitation program and that additional funding would also be needed for start-up costs.
Midway's Henderson Airfield serves as an emergency landing airport for aircraft in the mid-Pacific Ocean region and facilitates access to Midway and its surroundings. Under FAA regulations, air carriers must designate in their flight plans a certified airport for use in the event of an emergency during extended operations. Since 2003, there have been seven military and civilian emergency landings on Midway.
section_title: What GAO Recommends
paragraphs: GAO recommends that FWS ensure that the public, including previously interested key parties, are notified about FWS actions on Midway that may have an adverse effect on historic properties. The Department of the Interior agreed with GAO's recommendation.
View a video of GAO's review of FWS's management of Midway. To view high-resolution photographs from this report, please see GAO's Flickr page .

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: Midway Atoll (Midway) is a chain of three small coral islands located at  the northern end of the Hawaiian archipelago that is home to millions of  seabirds and is a national wildlife refuge, Midway Atoll National Wildlife  Refuge. Midway has undergone a number of transformations since it  was claimed by the United States in 1867, including to a relay station for  the trans-Pacific communication cable in the early 1900s and to host for a  U.S. Navy base that was the site of the Battle of Midway, a turning point  in World War II. As a result of its prior uses, Midway has more than  50 historic properties, some of which are contaminated with lead paint,  and an airport known as Henderson Airfield that is used as an emergency  landing airport for trans-Pacific flights and military aircraft. In addition,  Midway is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument  and is the only location within the monument that has an airport and  facilities for people who visit the monument. Though remotely located in  the mid-Pacific—about 1,300 miles from Honolulu—Midway previously  had a public visitation program, which was discontinued in November  2012 for budgetary reasons.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), within the Department of the  Interior, has managed the wildlife refuge on Midway since 1996, when the  Navy closed its base, and FWS co-manages the airport with the Federal  Aviation Administration (FAA) within the Department of Transportation.  The executive order transferring management of Midway to FWS directs  FWS, among other things, to maintain the atoll’s historical significance  and provide opportunities for scientific research, environmental education,  and certain recreational activities consistent with the executive order on  management and general public use of refuges. In September 2000, the  Secretary of the Interior designated the Midway Atoll National Wildlife  Refuge as the Battle of Midway National Memorial and directed FWS to  administer, protect, and develop it in accordance with the National  Historic Preservation Act, among other laws. Under section 106 of the  act and its implementing regulations, federal agencies undertaking  actions that might affect historic properties are to consult with state  historic preservation officers and other interested parties (i.e.,  stakeholders) to assess the effects of the undertakings on historic  properties and seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse  effects on historic properties. In addition, under the regulations  implementing section 106, federal agencies are to provide the public with  notice about such undertakings and their potential effects on historic  properties and seek public comment and input on resolving adverse  effects. Various stakeholders have raised concerns about the  maintenance of historic structures on Midway, as well as protection of  wildlife from lead paint and other hazards, and discontinuation of the  public visitation program.
You asked us to review FWS’s management of Midway. This report  (1) describes funding for operations and projects on Midway for fiscal  years 2009 to 2015; (2) examines how FWS has maintained historic  properties on Midway and the extent to which it has consulted key  stakeholders and sought public comment; (3) identifies challenges, if any,  FWS faces in reestablishing a public visitation program; and (4) describes  the use of Henderson Airfield as an emergency landing airport and  access point for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
To describe funding, we reviewed budget data for Midway over the last  7 years, for fiscal years 2009 through 2015. FWS officials told us that  because of the agency’s document retention policy it does not have pre- 2009 data. We assessed the reliability of these data and found them to be  of undetermined reliability for purposes of our report. For example, we  reviewed the annual external audit report of the Department of the  Interior’s financial database for fiscal year 2015, which covers FWS data;  this report noted that internal control deficiencies related to financial  reporting resulted in a lack of assurance that the department’s financial  data were correct. As a result, we relied on information from interviews  with agency budget officials to generally describe funding.
To examine how FWS has maintained its historic properties, the extent to  which the agency has consulted key stakeholders, and any challenges it  faces in reestablishing a public visitation program, we undertook several  data collection methods. We visited Midway in April 2015 to observe and  document in photographs and video the condition of existing properties,  which we identified from current FWS asset lists, historic preservation  plans, and other documents. We reviewed FWS management and visitor  services plans for Midway as a national wildlife refuge and as a part of the  marine national monument. We reviewed laws, regulations, and policies  regarding wildlife refuges, historic properties, and hazardous substances,  including the National Historic Preservation Act and the Comprehensive  Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980  (CERCLA). We interviewed FWS officials on Midway as well as the  agency’s Pacific Islands Refuges and Monuments Office in Honolulu and  its Region 1 office in Portland, Oregon, about the management and  oversight of Midway. We interviewed officials from the other co-trustees of  the marine national monument—specifically, the National Oceanic and  Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), within the Department of  Commerce, and the state of Hawaii, through its Department of Land and  Natural Resources—regarding the management of Midway and the  permitting process for activities in the marine national monument. We  interviewed officials from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation  concerning historic preservation requirements affecting federal agencies.  We also interviewed representatives of the four key stakeholder groups  who have participated in public visitation programs to Midway in the past,  before or after the designation of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine  National Monument in 2006.
To describe the use of Henderson Airfield, we reviewed FWS and FAA  reports, policies, and regulations on the operation of Henderson Airfield  and airports designated by FAA for emergency landings. We also  interviewed FWS and FAA officials regarding the agencies’ roles and  responsibilities in providing an emergency landing site on Midway.  In addition, we interviewed a nonprobability sample of airline industry  representatives—of a leading aircraft manufacturer, the largest airline  pilots association, and the largest organization representing commercial  airlines—regarding the use of Midway as an emergency landing site.  Because this was a nonprobability sample, it does not allow us to  generalize these views to either a segment of or to the entire airline  industry. However, these interviews provide examples of the views of  some industry representatives.
We conducted this performance audit from March 2015 to June 2016  in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain  sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our  findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that  the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and  conclusions based on our audit objectives. A more detailed description of  our audit scope and methodology is presented in appendix I.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National  Memorial is within one of the nation’s largest conservation areas—the  139,793-square-mile Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument— and is the location of the Battle of Midway, which was one of the most  decisive battles of World War II. The atoll is roughly 5 miles in diameter  and includes three islands—Sand Island (1,117 acres), Eastern Island  (336 acres), and Spit Island (7 acres). Nearly 3 million birds nest much  of each year on Midway, including albatross (Laysan, black-footed, and  short-tailed), Bonin petrels, and Laysan ducks.
The Laysan albatross is a large bird, with a  wing span of up to 6 feet. Beautiful in flight, but  ungainly in their movement on land, the  albatross were called “gooney birds” by those  stationed on Midway Atoll (Midway) during  World War II. In 1997, when the Navy  ceremonially transferred Midway to the U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Service, the Secretary of the  Navy cited the changing mission as “trading  guns for goonies.” Laysan albatross are  monogamous. If one mate should die, the  other will likely create a new pair bond.  Seventy-one percent of the world’s population  nests on Midway. Laysan albatross feed  primarily at night on anything that floats on the  surface of the water, such as squid and fish,  and also on marine debris, with an estimated  5 tons of plastic being accidently fed to chicks  each year. Their typical life span is 12 to  40 years. The world’s oldest known banded  bird in the wild is a Laysan albatross named  Wisdom (left in above photo with her mate,  Akeakamai), who is at least 65 years old and  has likely raised at least 37 chicks, according  to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The seasons on Midway are marked by the annual arrival of the first  albatross in late October, and their courting, mating, nesting, and fledging  activities until their departure in July. Green turtles, spinner dolphins, and  endangered Hawaiian monk seals also frequent Midway’s lagoon. See  figure 1 for a map of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National  Monument showing the location of Midway, which lies about 1,300 miles  from Honolulu.
The first westerner to discover the atoll arrived in July 1859. Then in  1867, the Navy formally claimed the islands for the United States to  establish a coaling station, supply depot, and emergency refuge for ships  traveling between the West Coast of the United States and eastern Asia.  In 1903, an executive order placed Midway under the jurisdiction and  control of the Navy. Construction of a naval air station began in 1940,  and the station was commissioned on August 1, 1941. The naval air  station included barracks; officers’ housing; a theater; a seaplane hangar;  a three-runway airfield on Eastern Island; and a defensive system,  including gun emplacements, ammunition storage, and pillboxes.
On December 7, 1941—the day Pearl Harbor was attacked—Midway was  attacked by Japanese ships, causing casualties and extensive damage to  buildings, including the seaplane hangar. During the Battle of Midway,  fought June 4 through 6, 1942, the Japanese launched an attack against  Midway in the hope of engaging and destroying the U.S. aircraft carriers  and occupying Midway. U.S. fleet aircraft ambushed the Japanese fleet  north of the islands, thereby inflicting heavy losses (four aircraft carriers),  an action credited with turning the tide of the war in the Pacific.
Following World War II, the Navy retained jurisdiction over Midway and  maintained it as a naval air station, which was supported by a town of up  to 5,000 civilians and military service families. In the 1970s and 1980s,  the Navy began downsizing operations on Midway. In 1988, the Navy  invited FWS to manage the atoll’s extensive wildlife resources, and  Midway became an overlay national wildlife refuge since the Navy  retained primary jurisdiction. In 1993, the Defense Base Closure and  Realignment Commission recommended that the mission of the naval air  station on Midway be eliminated. The Navy began operations to close  the air station, thereby beginning a transition in primary mission from  national defense to wildlife conservation.
Figure 2 shows key events and legislation in Midway’s history, including  the timing of Midway’s historic and other designations. (See app. II for a  fuller chronology of Midway events.)
As part of the base closure process, the Navy conducted environmental  studies that indicated widespread contamination based on introduction of  a variety of man-made materials to the environment and the native  wildlife, such as the presence of lead-based paint in soil, which can be  toxic to birds on Midway (e.g., up to 3 percent of Laysan albatross  hatchlings die from lead poisoning each year). In addition, the Navy  conducted cultural resources surveys in 1993 and 1994 that identified  buildings, structures, objects, and sites on both Sand and Eastern  Islands. Based on these surveys, 78 properties were determined to be  historic properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic  Places, including 9 properties previously designated as the Midway  National Historic Landmark.
Under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, federal  agencies are to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic  properties that are listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register  of Historic Places prior to the approval of the undertaking. For such  undertakings, the regulations implementing section 106 require federal  agencies to consult with the relevant state historic preservation officer,  individuals, or organizations that request and/or are invited to be  consulting parties and others. Since Midway is an unincorporated  territory and has no state historic preservation officer, the Advisory  Council on Historic Preservation instructed FWS officials to consult with  the state historic preservation office for Hawaii, which is the nearest  state.
The section 106 consultation is a process of seeking, discussing, and  considering the views of other participants and, where feasible, seeking  agreement with them on resolving adverse effects on historic properties  and other matters in the section 106 process before a federal agency  approves an undertaking. If the consultation results in an agreement on  how to resolve the adverse effects, the federal agency usually enters into  a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the relevant state historic  preservation officer, which the regulations require the agency to provide  to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation after it is signed and  before approving the undertaking.
In addition to consultation, the regulations implementing section 106  require agencies to provide an opportunity for the public to express  views on resolving the undertaking’s adverse effects. According to the  regulations, the views of the public are essential to informed federal  decision making in the section 106 process. Moreover, the regulations  require agencies to seek and consider the views of the public in a manner  that reflects, among other things, the nature and complexity of the  undertaking and its effects on historic properties and the likely interest of  the public in the effects on historic properties. The regulations also  require agencies, in consultation with state historic preservation officers,  to plan for involving the public in the section 106 process.
In lieu of conducting multiple section 106 processes, federal agencies  may negotiate programmatic agreements to govern the resolution of  adverse effects from multiple undertakings. The regulations  implementing section 106 require agencies, when developing  programmatic agreements, to consult with, as appropriate, the relevant  state historic preservation officer and others and provide for appropriate  public participation. In 1996, the Navy and FWS along with the Advisory  Council on Historic Preservation signed a programmatic agreement  directing how Midway’s 78 historic properties were to be treated during  the closure of the Naval Air Facility and transfer of these properties. The  agreement defined the following six levels of treatment for the  properties:
Reuse: The agreement identified 23 properties to be used and  maintained in support of refuge operations, including the officers’  housing, theater, barracks, shops, and industrial facilities.
Secure: The agreement identified 13 properties to be secured by the  Navy to minimize hazards to wildlife and people, including the power  plant/command center that was shelled on December 7, 1941, and  the cable station complex.
Leave as is: The agreement identified 20 properties that would be left  in “as is” condition and would not be used under refuge management,  other than for interpretive purposes, including the runways on Eastern  Island and various bunkers, pillboxes, and gun batteries.
Fill: The agreement indicated that four properties would be filled with  sand, including pillboxes on Sand and Eastern Islands and two  ammunition storage huts.
Demolish: The agreement called for demolishing 15 historic  properties that were of secondary historical importance, were in  very poor condition, or were redundant to other resources being  maintained; the properties included a motor pool building, a laundry,  the naval operating base armory, and airport storage buildings.
Relocate: The agreement listed three properties to be moved to  enhance their protection and interpretation: a torpedo and inert bomb,  submarine net, and metal pillbox.
The Navy transferred to FWS the 63 historic properties that remained  after the 15 demolitions as well as a number of buildings and other  infrastructure (i.e., equipment and related buildings that provide  electricity, water, and other support services) that had been used to  support the base. On June 30, 1997, the last Navy personnel departed.  (See app. IV for pictures of all the historic properties in existence in 2015  and selected other properties on Midway.)
When Midway was transferred from the Navy in 1996, Executive Order  13022 directed FWS to provide opportunities for scientific research,  environmental education, and certain recreational activities in a manner  consistent with the executive order on management and general public  use of refuges. In 1996, FWS entered into a cooperative agreement with  the Midway Phoenix Corporation for support of a public use program,  which required the corporation to operate Henderson Airfield; maintain  the harbor; operate, maintain, and/or provide utilities (i.e., electrical  system, sewage, television, and telephone); implement a grounds  maintenance plan; and provide basic and emergency medical care. In  addition, the agreement authorized the Midway Phoenix Corporation to  provide food service, lodging, and maritime rescue services. After the  Midway Phoenix Corporation discontinued operations on Midway in 2002,  FWS did not operate an ongoing public visitation program but allowed  occasional visitation, primarily through tour providers and cruise ships.  Subsequently, in accordance with its regulations and guidance  implementing the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of  1997, FWS determined that a number of recreational uses were both  appropriate and compatible with the refuge’s wildlife conservation  purposes, such as wildlife observation and photography, environmental  education, interpretation, snorkeling, and diving. FWS reestablished a  public visitation program in 2007 and then suspended public use in  November 2012. (See app. III for additional information on public  visitation to Midway.)
In February 2010, FWS and the other co-trustees of the  Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument received a notice of  intent to sue from a nongovernmental organization for violations of  several laws on Midway because, among other things, the lead-based  paint used to paint some buildings in the 1950s and 1960s was causing  lead poisoning in some birds. FWS agreed in a 2012 settlement with the  nongovernmental organization to complete, over the course of 7 years,  a “non-time critical removal action” under CERCLA, which governs the  cleanup of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, to  address the lead-based paint on buildings. The regulations  implementing CERCLA require removal actions to comply with applicable  requirements under federal and state laws, among other things. FWS  determined that the National Historic Preservation Act was an applicable  requirement for removal actions involving historic properties on Midway  and decided that it would work with the Hawaii State Historic Preservation  Officer to address the removal action’s adverse effects on historic  properties. When completing removal actions that are not time critical, the  regulations require federal agencies to publish a document containing the  analysis of removal alternatives, provide for at least a 30-day public  comment period on the document, and issue a decision document  selecting a removal alternative that responds to the public comments.
section_title: FWS Officials Reported That Midway’s Operations Funding Has Decreased in Recent Years and Project- Specific Funding Has Varied
paragraphs: The Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge’s funding consists of both  operational and project-specific funding. According to FWS budget  officials we interviewed, after increasing each year for fiscal years 2009  through 2011, the agency’s operations funding for Midway decreased  substantially in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, while project-specific funding  varied, with no clear trend, for fiscal years 2009 through 2015. The  officials attributed the decrease in the operations budget to a decrease in  funding from FWS Region 1 and a decrease in fees collected on Midway  after the public visitation program ended. FWS officials also told us that  Midway’s funding for deferred maintenance has varied based on regional  priorities, and funding for other projects has varied based on need or  availability of funds dedicated to particular uses, such as CERCLA  response actions.
subsections: section_title: Midway’s Operations Budget Has Decreased Substantially in Recent Years, According to FWS Officials
paragraphs: Midway’s operations budget contains three different funding streams:  funds allocated by FWS Region 1 to Midway; fees that are collected on  Midway and that Midway is authorized to use for specified purposes; and  funding from FAA for airport operations. According to FWS officials, the  overall funding for operations for Midway has substantially decreased  since fiscal year 2011 because of a decrease of about $1 million in  allocations from Region 1 and about $0.8 million in fees collected since  the end of public visitation in 2012.
subsections: section_title: After Increasing for Fiscal Years 2009 to 2011, FWS Allocations for Midway Operations Reportedly Decreased Substantially
paragraphs: According to an FWS budget official we interviewed, after increasing from  fiscal year 2009 to 2011 to a peak of more than $4 million, Region 1’s  funding of operations for Midway decreased in fiscal years 2012 and  2013. According to several officials, regional funding over those 2 years  decreased more than $1 million from the fiscal year 2011 funding level,  a substantial decrease. The FWS budget official told us that the agency’s  allocation for Midway of over $3 million in fiscal year 2015 remained at  more than $900,000 below the 2011 allocation.
FWS officials said that decreases in Midway’s allocation were due to flat  and declining budgets overall for FWS Region 1 and to sequestration in  2013. These officials said that given decreases in Midway’s operations  budget, FWS eliminated functions supporting visitor services, including  personnel responsible for implementing and overseeing the public  visitation program and for enforcing the regulations of the wildlife refuge,  to maintain core functions consistent with Midway’s status as a wildlife  refuge––that is, protecting wildlife.
section_title: Fees Collected on Midway Are Reported to Have Decreased since Fiscal Year 2012
paragraphs: According to FWS officials, fees collected for Midway’s operations have  decreased since fiscal year 2012. FWS is authorized to charge and retain  reasonable fees for services provided at the refuge, such as fuel sales,  to use for specified purposes. Overall operations funding from such fees  declined substantially following the end of public visitation in 2012, from  $1.3 million in fiscal year 2012 to about a half million in fiscal year 2015,  according to an FWS budget official.
FWS also collects fees from aircraft, both commercial and military, for  landing on Midway. Landing fees cover costs, beyond normal operations,  incurred by FWS from the aircraft landings. For example, a commercial  aircraft flying from Honolulu to Guam made an emergency landing on  Midway on July 10, 2014, and reimbursed FWS $86,000 to cover costs  such as paying for airport staff overtime, providing food for passengers,  and providing fuel, according to FWS officials.
section_title: FAA and FWS Share Costs for Operations at Henderson Airfield
paragraphs: An agreement between FWS and FAA specifies that FAA is responsible  for reimbursing FWS for the costs for operating and maintaining the  airport. FAA reimburses FWS about $3 million per year––the amount is  negotiated annually––for these costs. For certain overhead costs for the  airport––costs that cannot be clearly distinguished between Henderson  Airfield and refuge operations––FWS and FAA have a cost-sharing  arrangement that generally determines the costs according to a formula  based on the proportion of full-time equivalent staff on Midway who  provide support for the refuge versus the airport. Overhead costs  shared according to this formula include electricity, fuel, water, and waste  management. FAA officials said that how best to share overhead costs  remains under discussion between FWS and FAA.
section_title: Project-Specific Funding Has Varied, According to FWS Budget Officials
paragraphs: Some projects on Midway are not funded through its operating budget but  through funds dedicated to specific purposes, such as deferred  maintenance, CERCLA response actions, and capital improvements to  the airport.
For fiscal years 2009 through 2015, Midway’s annual allocation from FWS  Region 1 for deferred maintenance projects has varied, with a high of  about $1.3 million in fiscal year 2014 and a low of approximately $81,000  in fiscal year 2015, according to an FWS official, with no clear trends.  Officials told us that deferred maintenance funds go to projects such as  restoration of historic buildings and improvements to infrastructure, such  as sewer systems.
FWS officials also said that the total cost to address Midway’s  outstanding deferred maintenance needs is not known because  estimating the costs of such projects is itself expensive. For example,  according to FWS facilities maintenance officials, it cost $193,000 to  estimate the cost of deferred maintenance for just one historic structure— the Seaplane Hangar—which included the costs to transport and house  potential bidders on Midway as well as to transport and house three to  four staff members from the winning bidder to conduct work necessary for  developing the estimate. In 2010, FWS estimated the cost to stabilize (not  restore) that structure was about $18 million—several times the agency’s  annual budget for such projects in the Pacific region, according to FWS  officials.
Other projects on Midway that are not included in the operations budget  are funded through other sources within the Department of the Interior.  For example, the Department of the Interior’s Central Hazardous  Materials Fund—an appropriation available to pay for the department’s  removal actions under CERCLA––provided over $20 million from fiscal  year 2010 to 2015 to perform lead-based paint abatement projects on  Midway, according to FWS officials. Similarly, about $2 million in  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funds  were used to refurbish the historic officers’ housing and for energy  efficiency projects on Midway in 2010; these funds were paid by the FWS  regional office directly to contractors and were not included in Midway’s  budget. For Henderson Airfield, FAA, under an interagency agreement  for capital improvements with FWS, also provides up to $2.5 million  annually to pay for capital improvement projects, such as resurfacing  runways and taxiways.
section_title: FWS Has Maintained Most Historic Properties but Not Others and Has Not Adequately Provided Public Notification and Sought Public Comment under the Section 106 Process
paragraphs: FWS has maintained most historic properties on Midway but has  demolished others without providing adequate public notification and  seeking public comment and input, which is not consistent with the  regulations implementing section 106 of the National Historic  Preservation Act. More specifically, FWS has maintained most of the  historic properties on Midway in accordance with a 1996 programmatic  agreement with key stakeholders and historic preservation plans it  developed. However, FWS has demolished seven historic properties and  completed another undertaking with adverse effects on historic properties  that was not contemplated by the agreement without directly notifying  parties who had previously expressed interest in historic preservation  issues on Midway (hereafter referred to as key parties) and seeking their  comments and input, and, in some cases, without providing public  notification or opportunity for the public to express its views on resolving  the adverse effects. In addition, FWS did not conduct consultations before  approving three of the four undertakings even though, according to  Advisory Council on Historic Preservation officials, the intent of  consultation is to inform agency decision making.
subsections: section_title: FWS Has Maintained Most Historic Properties as Agreed but Has Demolished Others
paragraphs: FWS has maintained most of Midway’s historic properties as specified in  the 1996 programmatic agreement and the historic preservation plans it  developed. The 1996 programmatic agreement signed by the Navy, FWS,  and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation covered actions the Navy  would take before departing Midway, such as securing certain properties  from intrusion by wildlife or demolishing properties that were badly  deteriorated, and specified that FWS would reuse and maintain 23 of the  63 historic properties that would remain on Midway after the Navy’s  departure. As required by the programmatic agreement, FWS  developed its first historic preservation plan in 1999, followed by an  updated plan in 2010. The 1999 plan included the following five  management categories for the properties, all of which were consistent  with the earlier agreement with the Navy: reuse (23 properties), secure  (13 properties), leave as is (20 properties), fill with sand (4 properties),  and relocate (3 properties). A sixth category, the demolition of  15 properties, was carried out by the Navy prior to transferring the  management of Midway to FWS. The 2010 updated historic preservation  plan revised the management categories to account for issues that arose  since 1999 and to conform with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards  for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Since 1996, FWS has reused 19 of the 23 properties planned for reuse,  in some cases rehabilitating them. For example, as of June 2015, FWS  rehabilitated and was using as housing for residents structures that once  provided housing for Navy officers (see table 1). In addition, FWS put into  use 3 properties, including a paint shop, which had been categorized as  “leave as is” by the 1996 programmatic agreement, because the agency  had a need for them.
Since 2012, FWS has also demolished seven historic properties––actions  that were not contemplated by the 1996 programmatic agreement or the  2010 historic preservation plan (see table 2 and figs. 3, 4, and 5).
section_title: FWS Has Not Adequately Notified the Public, Including Key Parties, under the Section 106 Process
paragraphs: For undertakings with adverse effects on historic properties not  contemplated by the 1996 programmatic agreement and 2010 historic  preservation plan, FWS is to complete the section 106 process before  deciding to undertake such actions but FWS did not do so for four  undertakings affecting eight historic properties. The four undertakings  included demolishing seven buildings and rehabilitating a cable station  building with materials from three other cable station buildings that were  dismantled (see table 3).
For all four of these undertakings, we found that FWS did not adequately  notify the public and seek comments and input on the adverse effects the  undertakings would have on the historic properties. More specifically:
For the undertaking in 2009, FWS did not make information about the  planned actions available to the public or provide an opportunity for  the public to express views on resolving the adverse effects of the  undertaking consistent with the regulations implementing section 106  of the National Historic Preservation Act.
For the two undertakings that demolished the cable station buildings  and Marine barracks, FWS published a notice about the availability of  its analysis of removal alternatives on its website and in newspapers  in January 2011, as required under CERCLA. However, FWS did not  directly notify key parties that were involved in prior historic  preservation matters on Midway, such as the 2010 Historic  Preservation Plan. For example, FWS did not directly inform the  International Midway Memorial Foundation and other parties that had  served on the defunct Battle of Midway National Memorial Advisory  Committee about the CERCLA removal action. According to  Advisory Council on Historic Preservation officials, because FWS  knew these parties had an interest in historic preservation issues at  Midway, the method of notifying these parties about these  undertakings with adverse effects on historic properties was not  sufficient under section 106 unless these parties received the notice  directly.
For the undertaking that demolished the SK1 warehouse, the  document containing the analysis of removal alternatives made  available to the public in January 2011 did not include demolition as  an alternative, so the public and key parties did not have any notice  about FWS’s decision to demolish it, either under the CERCLA or the  section 106 process.
As a result, FWS’s decisions regarding all four undertakings that had  adverse effects on historic properties were not informed by public  comment and input, straining its relationship with at least one key  stakeholder. According to the regulations implementing section 106 of  the National Historic Preservation Act, the views of the public are  essential to informed federal decision making in the section 106 process.
For all four of these undertakings, FWS consulted with the Hawaii State  Historic Preservation Office and the Historic Hawaii Foundation but did  not receive requests from other interested parties to participate in the  consultations. However, since the public and potentially interested parties  did not have adequate notice about these four planned undertakings and  section 106 consultations, it is not clear that they would have known to  request participation in the consultations. FWS notified three parties for  the four undertakings, which is fewer than for other agreements, plans, or  activities. For example, FWS and the Navy notified seven parties about  the 1996 programmatic agreement, and FWS distributed the 2010  Historic Preservation Plan for Midway directly to 10 parties. According to  Advisory Council on Historic Preservation officials, it was unlikely that  these key parties could have requested to participate in these  consultations since, as described above, they did not have adequate  notice of the planned undertakings.
In addition, according to Advisory Council on Historic Preservation  officials, the intent of the section 106 consultation requirements is for  such consultations to inform the agency’s decision making. However,  FWS did not conduct consultations before approving three of the four  undertakings. While FWS consulted with the Hawaii State Historic  Preservation Officer and the Hawaii Historic Foundation and entered  into an MOA with the former to resolve the adverse effects of the 2009  undertaking on the cable station buildings, FWS did not conduct section  106 consultations before issuing its final CERCLA action memorandum  selecting demolition for the four cable station buildings and the two  Marine barracks in July 2011. The memorandum acknowledged that  consultation had not occurred but stated that FWS was to work with the  Hawaii State Historic Preservation Officer to reach agreement on how to  treat these buildings.
Subsequently, FWS consulted with the Hawaii State Historic Preservation  Office and Hawaii Historic Foundation about the CERLCA removal  actions demolishing the four cable station buildings, Marine barracks, and  SK1 warehouse. The consultations resulted in FWS and the Hawaii State  Historic Preservation Officer signing MOAs for the demolition of the cable  station buildings and SK1 warehouse but not for demolition of the Marine  barracks. However, according to an FWS official, consultations over the  Marine barracks lasted 5 months and in 2012 resulted in a draft MOA  between FWS and the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Office. Although  neither party formally signed the agreement at that time, they began to  implement its provisions.
These four undertakings were the first with adverse effects on historic  properties under FWS management of Midway, according to FWS. But as  properties continue to age and deteriorate in the future, FWS may need to  take additional actions that have adverse effects on historic properties.  Before approving such actions, FWS will need to complete the section  106 process detailed in regulations, which includes planning, in  consultation with the state historic preservation officer, for involving the  public in the process. An FWS official who works on historic preservation  issues on Midway noted that the extent of public notification and  involvement can vary based on the size of the undertaking. However,  officials with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation pointed out  that another factor in the regulations that should be considered in  determining the extent of seeking and considering the views of the public  is the likely level of public interest in the action. They stated that the  Midway interest groups that are known to have a high level of interest in  Midway should have been notified of these undertakings and FWS should  have sought and considered their views.
FWS officials told us that they are taking steps to better coordinate with  stakeholders on future actions. For example, as agreed with the Hawaii  State Historic Preservation Office, FWS is consulting with stakeholders on  developing a programmatic agreement for the treatment of a group of  18 historic buildings designed by architect Albert Kahn. According to an  FWS official, the intent of developing a programmatic agreement for all  the Kahn buildings is to consider actions taken on any of the buildings in  the context of all the historical buildings and to improve public  participation and standardize maintenance procedures and set priorities  for maintenance of the Kahn buildings. This programmatic agreement,  however, does not eliminate the need for FWS to complete the section  106 process, including notifying the public and providing an opportunity  for the public to express their views for future undertakings with adverse  effects on other historic properties that are outside of its scope. Without  ensuring that key parties that have previously expressed interest in  historic preservation issues on Midway are notified about future actions  that may have an adverse effect on historic properties, FWS will not have  reasonable assurance that it is adequately providing public notification  and an opportunity for public comment under the section 106 process.
section_title: FWS Faces Multiple Challenges in Reestablishing a Public Visitation Program on Midway
paragraphs: FWS faces multiple challenges in reestablishing a public visitation  program on Midway, such as deteriorating infrastructure and infrequent  delivery of supplies. In addition, the planning documents needed to  implement a visitor services program have not been updated to reflect  operational changes on Midway, creating uncertainty about the resources  that may be needed to reestablish a public visitation program.
subsections: section_title: Challenges FWS Faces Relate to Personnel, Infrastructure, Supplies, and Transportation Access
paragraphs: FWS has not had a public visitation program on Midway since November  2012 and faces multiple challenges to reestablishing such a program in  the future. FWS officials we interviewed said they would like to reestablish  a public visitation program to Midway but would need additional resources  to do so. On the basis of our visit to Midway; interviews with FWS, NOAA,  and Hawaii state officials and representatives from stakeholder groups;  and review of FWS documents, we identified four key resource-related  challenges to the reestablishment of a public visitation program:  personnel, infrastructure, supplies, and transportation.
subsections: section_title: Positions Have Been Eliminated
paragraphs: According to FWS’s 2008 visitor services plan, the most recent FWS  guidance for managing approved recreational activities and the visitor  services program at Midway, personnel are essential for providing a  quality public visitation program on Midway. FWS officials we interviewed  said that to reestablish a public visitation program, the agency would  need to fill six positions—four located on Midway and two in the FWS  Pacific Islands Office—that were eliminated when the program was  suspended in 2012. Personnel in these positions were responsible for,  among other things, implementing and overseeing the public visitation  program by coordinating with tour providers, developing recreational and  educational programs on Midway, and enforcing the regulations of the  wildlife refuge. In addition, FWS officials we interviewed said that the  agency would also like to have an additional staff person help develop a  mechanism, such as a concessionaire, that would allow an organization  or company to operate a public visitation program on Midway.
section_title: Infrastructure Is Deteriorating
paragraphs: According to the agency’s 2008 visitor services plan, FWS can provide  accommodations to no more than 50 overnight visitors on Midway at one  time. However, the FWS refuge manager said that visitation may be  limited to as few as 15 to 30 overnight visitors at one time because of the  deteriorating infrastructure on Midway. The building that is available to  house visitors, known as Bachelor Officer Quarters Charlie Barracks, is  almost beyond the point of repairs and renovation, according to a  condition assessment conducted by contractors in 2009. During our 2015  site visit, we observed that the first floor of Charlie Barracks had  extensive water damage (see fig. 6). In addition, one of the guest rooms  on the second floor occupied by a GAO analyst had a leaking ceiling.  In 2009, a contractor estimated that updating and renovating Charlie  Barracks, which was constructed in 1957, could cost up to $14 million and  that replacing it could cost up to $20 million. According to FWS officials  we interviewed, the estimate for renovating Charlie Barracks is likely  understated, as the deterioration has continued since the completion of  the most recent assessment in 2009.
In addition to providing accommodations, reestablishing a public visitation  program on Midway would likely entail increasing the capacity of existing  infrastructure systems to support visitors. Specifically, FWS and its  contractors operate and maintain the power system, water treatment and  distribution, facilities maintenance, waste management systems,  communications systems, and other operational necessities. Many of  these infrastructure systems were designed to accommodate the naval air  station and a population of up to 5,000 people and have deteriorated over  time. FWS has been replacing these systems to accommodate a  population of approximately 200 people. For example, in October 2007,  FWS installed a new fuel system with the capacity of up to  450,000 gallons to be used primarily for electricity generation. This new  system replaced an old fuel system with a capacity of about 4 million  gallons, which was deteriorating and was demolished in October 2015,  according to FWS officials. See figure 7 for our photographs of the old  fuel system prior to its demolition and the new fuel system.
Also, according to the 2008 Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge  Conceptual Site Plan, a new drinking water treatment system and  distribution main were placed into service in October 2005. The new  treatment system was sized for a short-term maximum population of  200 persons at a per capita daily use rate of 100 gallons per day, totaling  20,000 gallons per day. However, according to the 2008 conceptual site  plan, the actual efficient operating capacity is much lower, and a regular  on-island population above 120 people would require added capacity.
section_title: Supplies Are Infrequently Delivered
paragraphs: To routinely accommodate visitors to Midway, FWS officials said they  would likely need to increase the amount of supplies delivered. According  to these officials, the primary method for delivering supplies to Midway is  by ship, with some supplies arriving on charter flights. In 2014, FWS  decreased the number of shipments to Midway from three or four to two  per year to reduce costs. The two shipments are limited by their capacity  to transporting 84,000 gallons of fuel, but Midway’s power plant  consumed approximately 127,000 gallons in fiscal year 2015, according  to the Midway contractor’s annual management report. To make up the  difference, agency officials we interviewed said that FWS borrowed fuel  from the Coast Guard. The officials added that this arrangement is not  likely to be a reliable source of fuel in the future because the fuel may be  needed for Coast Guard operations.
section_title: Transportation through Charter Flights Is Expensive
paragraphs: The primary method of transportation to Midway is by charter flights,  which are expensive to operate, given Midway’s remote location. Before  2006, FWS was able to coordinate with cruise ships to visit Midway as an  alternative form of transportation, but access to Midway through the  marine national monument requires a permit. FWS officials we  interviewed said that Midway has not been visited by a cruise ship since  2007 because the company found the regulations of the monument too  onerous. As of July 2015, the round-trip charter flight from Honolulu to  Midway was approximately $50,000. FWS covers the entire cost of the  round-trip flight. If the flight is not full of passengers, the remaining space  is used for cargo, such as mail, food, supplies, and parts. These charter  flights are scheduled to travel from Honolulu to Midway approximately  once every 2 weeks, or 26 flights per year, representing a reduction in the  number of flights to Midway since the suspension of the public visitation  program. For example, in fiscal year 2011, the FWS contractor for  Midway reported 50 routine scheduled FWS charter flights or visitor flights  to Midway. In total, including round-trip transportation from Honolulu and  other costs on Midway, such as lodging, food, and other fees, a 2-week  stay on Midway costs about $6,700 per person in 2015.
section_title: Planning Documents to Implement Visitation Program Were Last Updated in 2008
paragraphs: The planning documents FWS needs to reestablish a public visitation  program have not been updated since 2008 to reflect changes to the  operating environment on Midway, creating uncertainty about the  resources that may be needed to reestablish the program. In 2015, FWS  officials estimated that $1.2 million in additional annual funding would be  needed to operate and oversee a reestablished public visitation program  and that additional funding would also be needed for start-up costs.  However, this estimate relies on the availability of Charlie Barracks to  house visitors, but as previously mentioned, the barracks is deteriorating.  In addition, FWS officials told us that the populations of certain wildlife on  Midway have grown and were not addressed in the most recent visitor  services plan from December 2008. For example, because of the  eradication of rats on Midway, there has been a significant increase in the  population of the Bonin petrel—a seabird species that creates burrows in  order to nest. On our site visit, we observed the extensive burrowing by  Bonin petrels on unpaved areas and areas surrounding the buildings,  which can create safety issues for visitors when the burrows collapse and  disturb the seabirds. Officials were uncertain how much funding would be  needed to update the plan but said that given current resource and  personnel constraints, they have no plans to do so.
The Bonin petrel is a small, burrow-nesting  seabird that breeds primarily in the  Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Midway Atoll  (Midway) hosts the world’s largest Bonin petrel  population. Midway’s Bonin petrel population  was estimated at over 500,000 in the late  1930s, but the accidental introduction of rats in  1943 caused numbers to plummet to fewer  than 5,000 in the 1980s. The rats were  eradicated in the 1990s, and the Bonin petrel  population has rebounded with a current  population estimated at close to 1 million. The  petrels spend their days either in their burrows  or at sea. Starting at sundown, they emerge  from their burrows and congregate in the air  above their nesting grounds by the hundreds  of thousands. They feed on small fish and  squid by dipping or surface-feeding on the  ocean surface. Their life span is 15 years.
Midway’s Henderson Airfield serves as an emergency landing airport for  aircraft for the mid-Pacific Ocean region and facilitates access to the  marine national monument that includes Midway. Under FAA regulations,  FAA-certified air carriers cannot operate airplanes on routes outside the  continental United States if they are more than a specified flying time from  an adequate airport unless FAA approves their extended operations  (ETOPS). To gain FAA approval, air carriers must, among other things,  designate adequate airports, which are certified by FAA, for use in the  event of a diversion during ETOPS. Henderson Airfield also serves as  an emergency airport for military aircraft.
Airline industry representatives and FAA officials we interviewed said that  the availability of Henderson Airfield on Midway allows aircraft to fly more  direct routes across the Pacific Ocean than would otherwise be possible  without Midway. An FAA official said that other ETOPS airports are  available in the Pacific region, including in Alaska, but commercial airlines  may prefer to designate Midway as their ETOPS airport in their flight  plans because it is a shorter flight than flying over Alaska. In addition,  according to an airline pilots’ association representative, Midway’s  availability as an ETOPS airport gives airlines more flexibility in  developing complex flight plans based on their routes, weather and wind  conditions, time, and fuel efficiency as well as ETOPS locations. If the  airport were not available, an official of an association representing  airlines said that airlines would need to alter their routes further north or  south, resulting in longer routes and incurring additional flight time and  fuel-related costs. Figure 8 shows the locations of Midway’s Henderson  Airfield and other ETOPS airports in the North Pacific Region.
Since 2003, seven emergency landings have occurred at the airport—four  military and three civilian—generally caused by mechanical failures (see  table 4).
Figure 9 shows two U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets that made an  emergency landing in July 2015.
Henderson Airfield also facilitates regular access for FWS and other  federal agency staff, and those with approved permits to Midway and the  rest of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to conduct  research and monitor geological events and endangered species.  FWS, the primary user of the airport, regularly flies staff, volunteers, and  supplies to support refuge mission activities. Other agencies use the  airport as follows:
The U.S. Coast Guard uses the airport to aid in its search-and-rescue  and medical evacuation (medevac) operations for an area about  600 miles north of Midway that is used by numerous large vessels,  according to Coast Guard officials. When the Coast Guard has to  conduct a rescue in this area, it flies people with medical needs to  Midway and then to Hawaii. From 2005 through 2015, there were  51 Coast Guard medevac flights that used Henderson Airfield. To  support medevac flights and provide for other emergency needs, such  as a hurricane evacuation, the Coast Guard stores its own fuel on  Midway.
NOAA has tidal monitoring stations on Midway and uses the atoll as a  staging area to coordinate research activities throughout the marine  national monument, including research to monitor endangered  Hawaiian monk seals. For example, NOAA has flown Hawaiian monk  seals from other areas in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to  Midway, where they are acclimated and released. NOAA also uses  Midway as an evacuation site. For example, according to NOAA  officials, in 2015, it evacuated monk seal researchers from field  camps on other islands in the marine monument to Midway because  of dangerous weather conditions. According to a NOAA official, the  agency “depends heavily” on the airport and has used FWS’s charter  flights or chartered its own flights to transport people and supplies.  Another NOAA official said it is good to have a runway within the  marine national monument since ships are infrequent and it is difficult  for ships to travel around the monument in winter.
The endangered Hawaiian monk seal is one of  the rarest marine mammals in the world and  endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago. In 1976,  they were listed as endangered under the  Endangered Species Act. Approximately  1,200 seals are scattered throughout the entire  archipelago. About 65 monk seals are usually  present at Midway at any one time, and  pupping levels have increased significantly  since 1996. Primary factors affecting their  recovery include predation by sharks,  aggression by adult male monk seals, and  reduction of habitat. Entanglement in marine  debris, such as fishing nets and lines, and  plastic rings are other sources of mortality.  Their diet consists of reef fish, squid, octopus,  and crustaceans, and their life span is 25 to  30 years.
The U.S. Geological Survey conducts research, such as translocating  endangered Laysan ducks from Laysan Island, in the Northwestern  Hawaiian Islands, to Midway to establish a second wild population,  largely because of its “rat-free” status and the logistic feasibility of  restoring habitat and monitoring the ducks after release.
section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: With its unique history and natural resources, Midway has several  designations, including as a national wildlife refuge and as the site of  many historic properties. These designations result in competing priorities  for FWS, including managing the ecosystem to protect wildlife as well as  maintaining historic properties. FWS faces these competing priorities with  an overall budget that has declined in recent years and with a property  maintenance budget that is variable and small in relation to the  maintenance work needed, some of which has been deferred. In this  environment, FWS has maintained most of Midway’s historic properties  as specified in a programmatic agreement that it entered in 1996 with the  Navy and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation during the Navy  base closure and in its 2010 historic preservation plan.
However, FWS has not consistently completed the section 106 process  before deciding to demolish or take other actions with adverse effects on  historic properties. Specifically, FWS did not provide public notification for  two actions adversely affecting five historic properties and did not  adequately notify the parties that had previously expressed interest in  historic preservation issues on Midway about these or two other actions.  Without providing public notification, including ensuring that key parties  that have previously expressed interest in historic preservation issues on  Midway are notified about future actions that may have an adverse effect  on historic properties, FWS will not have reasonable assurance that it is  adequately seeking public comment and input under the section 106  process.
section_title: Recommendation for Executive Action
paragraphs: To fulfill the secretarial order’s directive that FWS manage Midway in  accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, the Secretary of  the Interior should direct the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  to ensure that the public, including key parties that have previously  expressed interest in historic preservation issues on Midway, are notified  about future FWS undertakings that may have an adverse effect on  historic properties so that they have an opportunity to provide comment  and input.
section_title: Agency Comments and Third-Party Views
paragraphs: We provided a draft of this report, for their review, to the Secretaries of  Commerce, Homeland Security, the Interior, and Transportation; the  Executive Director for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; and  the Governor of Hawaii. In the letters conveying their comments and  views, the Department of the Interior, the Advisory Council on Historic  Preservation, and the State of Hawaii all generally agreed with the  report’s findings and recommendation; these letters are included in  appendixes V, VI, and VII, respectively. The Departments of Commerce,  Homeland Security, and Transportation indicated that they had no formal  comments on our report through e-mail communications provided through  audit liaisons.
The Department of the Interior agreed with our recommendation as  drafted, which focused on notifying key parties that have previously  expressed interest in historic preservation issues on Midway about future  undertakings that may have an adverse effect on historic properties. The  department said that, effective immediately, FWS would directly notify key  interested parties about such future undertakings.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation also agreed with our  recommendation and suggested that, to better reflect the regulations  implementing section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, we  clarify in our recommendation that FWS ensure the public––and not just  key parties previously expressing interest in historic preservation issues  on Midway––are notified about future undertakings that have adverse  effects on historic properties. We clarified our recommendation to indicate  that FWS should ensure that the public, including key parties, are notified  because, as we noted in our report, FWS did not provide public  notification for two of the undertakings and did not notify key parties about  those or two other undertakings. In addition, the council emphasized the  importance of initiating the section 106 review process as early as  possible in the planning process to allow adequate time for participation  by the public and consulting parties and to ensure the review process is  complete before expenditure of federal funds on an undertaking. In light  of public interest in Midway’s historic properties and the possibility of  restoring public visitation in the future, the council expressed hope that  FWS would make historic preservation a higher priority among its  competing funding priorities.
The State of Hawaii agreed with our recommendation as drafted and  noted the importance of Midway to the state as ecological habitat  supporting the state’s resources and as a staging area supporting the  state’s field camps at Kure Atoll. The State of Hawaii also expressed  hope that Midway’s visitation program can be reinstated since it provides  unique access to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.  In addition, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce,  and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation provided technical  comments, which we incorporated as appropriate.
We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional  committees; the Secretaries of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security,  the Interior, and Transportation; the Executive Director for the Advisory  Council on Historic Preservation; the Governor of Hawaii; and other  interested parties. In addition, the report is available at no charge on the  GAO website at http://www.gao.gov.
If you or your staff members have any questions about this report, please  contact me at (202) 512-3841 or fennella@gao.gov. Contact points for  our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found  on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made major contributions to  this report are listed in appendix VIII.
section_title: Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
paragraphs: Our objectives were to (1) describe funding for operations and projects on  Midway Atoll (Midway) for fiscal years 2009 through 2015; (2) examine  how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has maintained historic  properties on Midway and the extent to which it has consulted key  stakeholders and sought public comment; (3) identify challenges, if any,  FWS faces in reestablishing a public visitation program; and (4) describe  the use of Henderson Airfield as an emergency landing airport and  access point for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
To describe funding for Midway’s operations and projects, we collected  financial data for fiscal years 2009 through 2015 from FWS Region 1 for  its financial allocations to Midway and from the Pacific Islands Refuges  and Monuments Office in Honolulu for fees collected on Midway by the  FWS contractor. An FWS official told us that because of the agency’s  document retention policy, it does not have pre-2009 data. We assessed  the reliability of these data and found them to be of undetermined  reliability for purposes of our report. Specifically, we reviewed the annual  external audit of the Department of the Interior’s financial database for  fiscal year 2015, which noted internal control deficiencies related to  financial reporting that could result in a misstatement within the financial  statements. As a result, we relied on interviews with FWS budget and  other officials to generally describe funding for Midway. In particular, we  interviewed FWS budget and other officials on Midway and officials from  the Pacific Islands Refuges and Monuments Office in Honolulu; the  Region 1 office in Portland, Oregon; and FWS headquarters. We also  interviewed officials with the Department of Transportation’s Federal  Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the agencies’ roles and  responsibilities in providing an emergency landing site on Midway.
To examine how FWS has maintained its historic properties, the extent  to which it has consulted key stakeholders, and any challenges FWS  faces in reestablishing a public visitation program, we collected  documents and data to determine the universe of historic properties on  Midway and actions that have been taken on these properties. We  reviewed the National Historic Preservation Act, FWS’s Historic  Preservation Plans for Midway, section 106 consultation documents,  including regulations implementing section 106, and other relevant  documents. We also interviewed the historian for Regions 1 and 8 and  FWS officials located on Midway, in the Honolulu office, in the Region 1  office, and in headquarters. We interviewed officials in the Advisory  Council on Historic Preservation, the Hawaii State Historic Preservation  Office, the Historic Hawaii Foundation, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs  and native Hawaiian cultural practitioners for their perspectives on historic  preservation on Midway.
We also conducted a site visit to Midway in April 2015, during which we  documented the presence and appearance of the 56 historic and other  nonhistoric properties on Midway, including Sand and Eastern Islands.  Properties included buildings, structures, monuments, ruins, and other  items found on Midway. Using a data collection instrument to guide our  work, we took photographs and videos of properties, in addition to noting  the general condition of those properties. We identified properties by  building number listed on FWS’s real property asset list, maps, or FWS  photos or directly by observing numbers found on properties. We also  consulted with the FWS officials on Midway frequently to confirm the  presence and identity of properties. We did not physically measure or test  any features or components of any property on Midway to determine its  condition. Any statements we made as a result of our site visit on the  condition of a property were based solely on the general appearance of  the structure and do not constitute an actual physical assessment of the  property. Moreover, our observations were limited at times because of  several factors. For example, FWS directed us to avoid all direct contact  with or disturbing of wildlife, including staying 150 feet away from  endangered species whenever possible. Midway is a seabird nesting  colony, and our site visit coincided with albatross breeding season. Other  seabirds were present in great numbers on Midway, such as the Bonin  petrel, a burrowing seabird. In addition, FWS directed us not to remove  any object from or disturb any properties on Midway. FWS officials also  directed us to avoid those properties having hazardous materials, such as  lead paint, asbestos, and black mold. Further, FWS officials directed us to  avoid those having unstable features, such as a collapsed portion of a  structure, risk of falling debris, and partial or complete structural  instability.
To identify challenges, if any, FWS faces in reestablishing a public  visitation program, we collected documents, plans, and data to determine  any FWS obligations to have a public visitation program, what prior  visitation program Midway had, and challenges that FWS faces in  reestablishing a visitation program. During our site visit to Midway, we  observed and photographed properties that have been used for or are  potentially relevant to a visitation program. We also interviewed FWS  officials on Midway, in the Honolulu office, and in the Region 1 office  about public visitation.
To describe the use of Henderson Airfield, we reviewed FWS and FAA  reports, policies, and regulations on the operation of Henderson Airfield  and extended operations airports and interviewed FWS and FAA officials  regarding the agencies’ roles and responsibilities in providing an  emergency landing site on Midway. We also interviewed a nonprobability  sample of airline industry representatives —of a leading aircraft  manufacturer, the largest airline pilots association, and the largest  organization representing commercial airlines—regarding the use of  Midway as an emergency landing site. The interviews allowed us to gain  a perspective of airline industry views on Midway, but because this was a  nonprobability sample, it does not allow us to generalize these views to  either a segment of or the entire airline industry. We also reviewed  information related to flight and passenger data from FWS’s contractor on  Midway and FAA data on the emergency military and civilian landings on  Midway. FAA only had data on emergency military and civilian landings  available for the years 2003 through 2015, so we can only report on the  number of emergency landings for this time period.
We conducted this performance audit from March 2015 to June 2016 in  accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain  sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our  findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that  the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and  conclusions based on our audit objectives.
section_title: Appendix II: Chronology of Historical and Other Events for Midway Atoll
paragraphs: This appendix lists a chronology of historical and other events on Midway  Atoll (Midway) based on our review of documents from the U.S. Fish and  Wildlife Service (FWS), the Department of the Navy, the U.S. Marine  Corps, and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; legal  documents, including laws and executive orders; and other historical  resources.
Pre-1850s. The first visitors to the islands that constitute Midway Atoll  (Midway) may have been Polynesians/Hawaiians exploring the Pacific in  voyaging canoes. No physical evidence of such visits remains, but oral  histories and chants refer to distant low-lying islands with abundant birds  and turtles. Native Hawaiians named the atoll “Pihemanu,” which means  “the loud din of birds.”
July 5, 1859. The first westerner, Captain N. C. Brooks of the Hawaiian  ship Gambia, discovers Midway. He claims Midway for the United States.  Captain Brooks names the atoll Middlebrooks, combining his name and  Midway’s position between the west coast of the United States and  Japan.
July 1867. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company, a transpacific  commercial trading company, attempts to establish a coal storage depot  and constructs two wooden houses on Sand Island, the larger of the two  main islands in the atoll.
August 28, 1867. Captain William Reynolds of the steamer USS  Lackawanna formally takes possession of Midway for the United States  by order of the Secretary of the Navy. Midway’s location is considered  important to provide a safe refuge for ships traveling between the United  States and Asia in case of disaster and to establish a supply depot for  provisions and water as well as coal to fuel the ocean steamships,  according to an 1869 report submitted to the Senate Committee on Naval  Affairs.
January 28, 1869. The Navy adopts the name Midway Islands, according  to a report submitted to the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs.
January 20, 1903. Executive Order 199-A places Midway Islands “under  the jurisdiction and control of the Navy Department.”
April 20, 1903. About 30 people from the Commercial Pacific Cable  Company arrive on Midway to begin constructing the cable station. They  first erect temporary houses and then construct five permanent station  buildings using steel beam supports and reinforced concrete, which is  considered an innovative use of the modern material. The buildings  provide an office for the cable operator; a mess and recreation hall; and  quarters for the staff, servants, and a superintendent. The basements are  used for support functions, such as storing provisions and housing the  laundry and machine shop.
June 1903. The Navy ejects Japanese squatters and poachers who kill  seabirds for feathers that are popular for women’s hats and appoints the  Commercial Pacific Cable Company as Midway’s custodians.
The first short-tailed albatross was observed  on Midway between 1936 and 1941. The  short-tail population dropped dramatically  because of feather hunters in the late 19th  century who sold feathers for women’s hats.  Over 5 million adult birds were hunted and  killed. Protections for the short-tailed albatross  date back to 1970, and populations in the  United States were listed as endangered  under the Endangered Species Act in 2000.  The world population of short-tailed albatross  is currently estimated at 2,200 birds. They  feed on flying fish eggs, shrimp, squid, and  crustaceans, primarily during daybreak and  twilight hours, and have been known to forage  as far as 1,988 miles from their breeding  grounds.
June 18, 1903. The ships C.S. Anglia and C.S. Colonia complete  installing the cable between Guam and Midway.
July 4, 1903. The cable, which stretches from San Francisco to Honolulu  to Midway to Guam to the Philippines, carries the first round-the-world  message and wishes “a happy Independence Day to the United States,  its territories and properties.” The message takes 9 minutes to be  received.
May 1904. About 20 U.S. Marines arrive to secure Midway as a U.S.  possession and protect the cable staff and albatross from poachers.
September 22, 1905. The U.S. Lighthouse Service illuminates the first  lighthouse on the atoll.  1906. A cemetery—commonly referred to as the Doctors’ Cemetery  because four of the six individuals buried there are medical doctors—is  established on Midway when James Miller, an assistant surgeon in the  Navy, dies of appendicitis.  1917. The U.S. Weather Bureau establishes a station on Midway.
April 12, 1935. Pan American Airways sets up an air base for weekly  Trans-Pacific Flying Clipper Seaplane service and constructs a hotel on  Sand Island. Midway becomes a regular fuel stop on a trans-Pacific route,  including Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila.
November 22-29, 1935. Pan American Airways’ China Clipper makes the  first trans-Pacific airmail flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway,  Wake, Guam, and Manila.  1938. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges an entrance channel  through the southern reef between Eastern and Sand Islands. It also  constructs a harbor and seaplane runways in the lagoon as a civil works  project.
April 25, 1939. Public Law No. 76-43 authorizes the Navy to establish,  develop, or increase naval aviation facilities on Midway.
March 1940. Construction of a naval air station begins. Private  contractors start constructing land runways on Eastern Island and other  infrastructure on Sand Island in preparation for possible hostilities.  1940. The Navy contracts with Albert Kahn of Detroit to prepare  standardized plans for barracks, mess halls, and hangars for various  bases. He also provides plans for the officers’ housing, shops, storage  buildings, and theater on Midway. Kahn is considered to be one of the  country’s foremost industrial designers and known for his use of steel,  reinforced concrete, and natural light to create comfortable and functional  interior spaces.  1941. The Commercial Pacific Cable Company’s last superintendent on  Midway begins his tenure. He remains on Midway during World War II,  operating the cable for the Navy.
August 1, 1941. A Naval Air Station, Midway Islands is established on  Eastern Island.
December 7, 1941. Japanese destroyers, known as the Midway  Neutralization Unit, shell Midway. Four people are killed and 10 are  wounded during the shelling.
On December 7, 1941, Midway Atoll (Midway)  was bombarded by Japanese ships, in concert  with the Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor.  Midway’s property number 354, the command/  communications and power plant building was  penetrated by a 5-inch artillery shell. First  Lieutenant George H. Cannon was  commanding one of Midway’s gun batteries at  the time. Mortally wounded by enemy fire, he  refused to leave his post and refused medical  attention, even though he had a crushed  pelvis, until he was assured communications  were restored to his command post. By the  time he received medical attention, it was too  late, and he died. According to the Medal of  Honor citation, Cannon earned the nation’s  highest military award for “distinguished  conduct in the line of his profession,  extraordinary courage, and disregard of his  own condition.”
June 4-6, 1942. Early on June 4, aircraft from four Japanese aircraft  carriers, which had attacked Pearl Harbor 6 months earlier, attack and  severely damage the base on Midway. After their initial attacks, the  Japanese aircraft head back to their carriers to rearm and refuel, and  while the aircraft are returning, the Japanese navy is surprised by U.S.  naval forces in the area. Aircraft from the USS Enterprise, USS Hornet,  and USS Yorktown attack the Japanese fleet. Three Japanese carriers  are hit, set ablaze, and abandoned. A fourth Japanese carrier, the Hiryu,  responds with two waves of attacks—both times bombing the USS  Yorktown, leaving her severely damaged but still afloat. That afternoon, a  USS Yorktown scout plane locates the Hiryu, and the USS Enterprise  sends dive bombers to attack. The attack leaves the Hiryu burning and  without the ability to launch aircraft. Over the next 2 days, the U.S. Navy  forces the Japanese to abandon the battle and retreat to Japan. The  Japanese lose approximately 4,800 men, four carriers, one cruiser, and  hundreds of aircraft, while the United States loses about 307 men, one  carrier, one destroyer, and over 100 aircraft. The Battle of Midway is  considered the decisive battle of the war in the Pacific. After Midway, the  Americans and their allies took the offensive in the Pacific arena.
July 15, 1942. The submarine base at Midway is commissioned and  operates until the end of World War II.
August 1944. After the Battle of Midway, Sand Island is developed as an  airfield, and it accommodates all operations of large planes from Eastern  Island. The airfield becomes an important stopover for aircraft transiting to  the war zone as it pushes further east.  1945. Air activity on Eastern Island withers as the Navy shifts it to Sand  Island, and the Navy abandons Eastern Island by the end of the year.  1947. Pan American Airways discontinues its operations on Midway. In  September, the Civil Aeronautics Authority takes over the maintenance  and operation of airport facilities at Midway, Wake Island, and Guam, and  the facilities become part of the federal airways and links in the air routes  over the Pacific.
May 1, 1950. The Civil Aeronautics Authority ceases airport operations on  Midway because of the Navy’s decision to withdraw from the island.
June 6, 1950. The Navy decommissions the naval air station on Midway.
September 1950. The Navy recommissions the naval air station on  Midway to support the Korean conflict. Ships and planes transporting  thousands of military personnel stop at Midway for refueling and  emergency repairs.  1951. The Federal Communications Commission issues an order  authorizing permanent discontinuance of all operations of the Commercial  Pacific Cable Company’s route between San Francisco and Manila.
December 31, 1952. The Commercial Pacific Cable Company turns over  all its buildings and equipment to the Navy and ceases operations on  Midway.
April 1953. The Navy deactivates the naval air station on Midway as  hostilities in Korea decrease.
July 1953. The Navy reactivates the naval air station on Midway in  reaction to Soviet bombers flying across the Pacific, sparking the era of  “Cold War” hostilities. To protect the United States and keep track of the  Soviet planes, construction begins on the Distant Early Warning Line—a  network of radar picket ships to give a distant early warning of aircraft or  missile attack on North America.  1957. A $40 million construction program begins as Midway becomes a  home for the Pacific Airborne Early Warning portion of the Distant Early  Warning Line, known as the Pacific Barrier. Navy construction units  (Seabees) complete an 8,000-foot runway for the heavy aircraft landing  on Midway and build an aircraft hangar large enough to hold six aircraft.  During this construction, the Hawaiian Dredging Company completes new  housing, reconditions the station theater, and builds a new chapel in a  modern “A” frame design.
July 1958. The Pacific Barrier becomes fully operational, and Midway  gains renewed importance as a staging point for airborne radar early  warning patrols by Navy WV-2 (EC-121) Warning Star aircraft—called  Willy Victors—flown by the Airborne Early Warning Barrier Squadron,  Pacific. These patrols between Midway and the Aleutian Islands are  designed to provide warning of attack on North America by Soviet  bombers.
March 18, 1959. The Hawaiian Statehood Act is passed and, on August  21, 1959, Hawaii becomes the 50th state. The law excludes Midway from  the state of Hawaii’s territory.
September 4, 1962. Executive Order 11048 makes the Secretary of the  Navy responsible for the civil administration of Midway and vests all  executive and legislative authority necessary for that administration, and  certain judicial authority, in the Secretary.  1968. Midway is one of the main aircraft and ship refueling stations during  the Vietnam War. It also accommodates classified missions and the  storage and assembly of advanced underwater weapons and the Sound  Surveillance System (Project Caesar), which includes miles of undersea  cables with hydrophones to pick up the sounds of submarines.
June 8, 1969. The United States and South Vietnam conduct secret  meetings in the Midway House (the Officer-in-Charge House, property  number 414). During this meeting, the United States announces the  “Vietnamization” of the war and a U.S. troop withdrawal of 25,000 men.
October 1978. The Navy downgrades the naval air station to a naval air  facility, and dependents are withdrawn.  1981. A base operating services contract is awarded to civilian  contractors to operate the naval air facility, further reducing the number of  military personnel there.
November 23, 1985. Pan American B747 “China Clipper II” visits Midway  to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first China Clipper flight.  1986. The National Park Service initiates a study of Midway’s heritage  resources to determine if any of the World War II-era properties are  eligible for designation as a National Historic Landmark. The study  identifies nine eligible defensive structures on Sand Island and none on  Eastern Island.
May 1987. Six ammunition magazines, a pillbox (a defensive structure  built on or near the beach), and two gun emplacements on the west side  of Sand Island are, as a group, designated a National Historic Landmark  and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Green turtles are the largest of all the hard- shelled sea turtles. They were listed as  threatened under the Endangered Species Act  in 1978, except for the Florida and Mexican  Pacific coast populations, which were listed as  endangered. The 1978 green turtle listing was  replaced in April 2016 with listings of distinct  population segments as endangered or  threatened; the green turtles on Midway Atoll  (Midway) are part of the Central North Pacific  distinct population segment, which was listed  as threatened. A major factor contributing to  the green turtle’s decline worldwide is the  commercial overharvest of turtles and eggs for  human consumption. The number living and  foraging within Midway’s lagoon is currently  undetermined, but many of Midway’s turtles  have been tagged to monitor the population.  Adults migrate from foraging grounds  throughout the Hawaiian Islands to breeding  grounds. Their life span is unknown, but  sexual maturity occurs anywhere from 20 to 50  years.
April 22, 1988. A cooperative agreement between the Navy and FWS  establishes an overlay national wildlife refuge on Midway. Under the  agreement, the Navy makes the atoll’s land and water areas available to  the Department of the Interior to administer for the conservation and  management of migratory birds, endangered species, and other fish and  wildlife. The wildlife on the island includes the endangered Hawaiian  monk seal, the threatened green turtle, and diverse marine species and  migratory seabirds and shorebirds, including the world’s largest  population of nesting Laysan albatross.
July 1, 1993. The naval air facility on Midway is recommended for closure  under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (Pub. L.  No. 101-510, Tit. XXIX).  1993 and 1994. The Navy conducts cultural resources surveys to identify  buildings, structures, objects, and sites on both Sand and Eastern Islands  that might be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic  Places. The Navy determines that 78 properties are eligible, including  9 properties that were designated as a National Historic Landmark.
September 30, 1993. The naval air facility on Midway is operationally  closed.
February 5, 1996. FWS, the Navy, and the Advisory Council on Historic  Preservation enter into a programmatic agreement, as authorized by the  regulations implementing section 106 of the National Historic  Preservation Act, regarding historic preservation issues on Midway. The  agreement addresses the transfer of historic properties identified on  Midway in 1996 and how FWS was to treat the properties afterward.
August 2, 1996. FWS enters into a cooperative agreement with the  Midway Phoenix Corporation for support of a public visitation program.
August 1996. Midway opens to public visitation.
October 31, 1996. Executive Order 13022 transfers jurisdiction and  control of Midway from the Navy to the Department of the Interior and  directs the Secretary of the Interior, through FWS, to administer Midway  as the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
April 3, 1997. In a ceremony transferring Midway to FWS, the Secretary  of the Navy presents the “key to Midway” (in the shape of a Laysan  albatross) to the Department of the Interior and remarks that Americans  are “trading guns for goonies.”
June 30, 1997. The last Navy personnel stationed on Midway depart.  1997. The first systematic marine invertebrate survey is conducted and  documents 316 invertebrate species, 250 of which had not been  previously recorded at Midway.  1998. FWS and the Oceanic Society sponsor the first two Elderhostel  historic preservation projects. Working under the supervision of a historic  preservation specialist, volunteers clean and preserve the 3-inch anti- aircraft gun on Eastern Island, clean and stabilize Battery C, and remove  paint from the 5-inch guns in the memorial park. FWS funds roof and  soffit repairs on eight officers’ quarters and the Officer-in-Charge house.  FWS receives a National Park Service grant for $6,000 to develop a plan  for restoring the Armco huts, power plant, and cable station.
June 1999. FWS issues the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge  Historic Preservation Plan 1999, which defines a program to integrate  historic preservation planning with the refuge’s wildlife conservation  mission.  1999. FWS and the Oceanic Society sponsor three Elderhostel historic  preservation projects. Work includes restoring the theater windows and  completing a condition assessment, cleaning and stabilizing Battery A,  preserving the 5-inch guns, completing a condition assessment of the  cable station, inventorying changes to the buildings, drafting new  architectural floor plans, and organizing a library of historic resources.  2000-2001. FWS receives a Save America’s Treasures grant for  $308,681 from the National Park Service. The grant provides funds for  termite prevention of the officers’ housing, Officer-in-Charge house,  theater, and several shop buildings; re-roofing of a cable station building  (property number 643; mess hall); and restoration of an ARMCO hut.
September 13, 2000. In response to a mandate in the fiscal year 2000  appropriations act, the Secretary of the Interior signs Secretarial Order  3217 designating the 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.”
December 4, 2000. Executive Order 13178 establishes the Northwestern  Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. The reserve encircles  the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, except for Midway; however, it directs  the Secretary of the Interior to follow the order’s management principles  in managing the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge to the extent  consistent with applicable laws.
January 7, 2002. The fiscal year 2000 appropriations act requires the  Secretary of the Interior to consult on a regular basis with organizations  with an interest in Midway, including the International Midway Memorial  Foundation, on the management of the national memorial. The Secretary  of the Interior establishes the Battle of Midway National Memorial  Advisory Committee to develop a strategy for a public dedication of the  memorial, identify and plan for appropriate exhibits to commemorate this  important event, and offer recommendations on improving visitor  services.
March 6, 2002. The Midway Phoenix Corporation and FWS enter into a  settlement agreement to terminate their cooperative agreement.
May 1, 2002. The last Midway Phoenix Corporation employees depart  Midway.
February 2003. As much as 100,000 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel spills from  an underground corroded pipeline at the Midway fuel farm. Officials from  the Coast Guard, FWS, GeoEngineers, Inc., and Pacific Environmental  Corporation collaborate to oversee the cleanup project.
February 26, 2003. H.R. 924 is introduced in the House of  Representatives, which, if enacted, would require the Secretary of the  Interior to designate an agency within the department to replace FWS  as administrator of Midway. Congress does not pass H.R. 924.
May 7, 2003. FWS awards a contract to Chugach McKinley, Inc., to  provide operations and maintenance services at Midway Atoll National  Wildlife Refuge.
July 3, 2003. A military C-130 makes an emergency landing because an  engine is out.
Jan. 6, 2004. A civilian Boeing 777 makes an emergency landing  because of left engine issues.
The world’s most endangered duck, the  Laysan duck is considered the rarest native  waterfowl in the United States. They once  were widespread across the Hawaiian Islands,  but by 1860, they ceased to exist anywhere  except Laysan Island. In 1967, they were listed  as endangered. In 2004, 20 endangered  Laysan ducks were transported 750 miles to  Midway Atoll (Midway) from Laysan Island.  Biologists have established a second  “insurance” population of this endemic duck on  Midway. Today, the population numbers over  400 ducks. Laysan ducks are primarily insect  feeders but may also feed on leaves and  seeds, and their life span is about 12 years.
2004. FWS transports 20 endangered Laysan ducks to Midway from their  home at Laysan Island in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge.  The birds adapt 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 are transported to Midway in  2005, most of which are introduced to Eastern Island. By the end of 2006,  more than 100 Laysan ducks are living on Midway.
May 26, 2005. An oversight hearing on public access within the national  wildlife refuge system is held before the Subcommittee on Fisheries and  Oceans, House Committee on Resources. Witnesses include the  Chairman of the International Midway Memorial Foundation, who  requests that the committee consider designating an agency other that  FWS to manage Midway.
June 15, 2006. Proclamation 8031 designates the Northwestern  Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. The monument is one of  the largest fully protected marine managed areas in the world.
The Meaning of Papahānaumokuākea  The name Papahānaumokuākea (pronounced  Pa-pa-hah-now-mo-koo-ah-keh-ah) comes  from an ancient Hawaiian tradition concerning  the formation of the Hawaiian Islands.  Papahānaumoku is a mother figure personified  by the earth, and Wākea is a father figure  personified in the expansive sky. According to  tradition, their union resulted in the creation of  the entire Hawaiian archipelago.  The components of the name of the  monument—”Papa” (earth mother), “hānau”  (birth), “moku” (small island or large land  division), and “ākea” (wide)—bespeak a fertile  woman giving birth to a wide stretch of islands  beneath a benevolent sky.
February 28, 2007. Proclamation 8031 is amended by Proclamation  8112 to give the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National  Monument the Hawaiian name Papahānaumokuākea Marine National  Monument.
March 1, 2007. The First Lady visits Midway in recognition of the newly  designated Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and to  increase public awareness of its exceptional marine ecosystem. On  March 2, 2007, in a ceremony in Honolulu, accompanied by the Governor  of Hawaii and native Hawaiian elders, she announces the new native  Hawaiian name of the marine monument.  2008. FWS contracts for a condition assessment of the cable station.  Because of their deteriorated condition, a decision was made to salvage  and dismantle three of the four two-story buildings and save one. FWS  contracts to salvage the windows, doors, and other fixtures of the cable  station.
July 8, 2009. A military F-18 conducts an emergency landing because an  engine is out.  2009. FWS’s Cultural Resources Team travels to Midway with the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to record the terrestrial  elements associated with the Battle of Midway for the American  Battlefield Grant. Consultation is completed for the cable station and a  memorandum of agreement is signed with stipulations that mitigate for  the loss of three buildings. Engineering and historic preservation firms  assess the condition of the seaplane hangar and present the results in  two different studies. They begin the process of developing appropriate  plans and costs for rehabilitating the seaplane hangar.
December 2010. FWS revises its Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge  Historic Preservation Plan 1999 and reissues it in December 2010.  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding is used to rehabilitate  officers’ housing and for solar water heaters.
July 30, 2010. Delegates to the United Nations’ Educational Scientific  and Cultural Organizations 34th World Heritage Convention agree to  inscribe Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as one of 28  mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Sites.
March 10, 2011. A tsunami hits Midway, which is caused by a 9.0  earthquake in Japan. The tsunami covers about 60 percent of Eastern  Island and 20 percent of Sand Island. There are no human casualties, but  the boat piers and old seawalls are damaged. More than 110,000 Laysan  and black-footed albatross chicks—about 22 percent of the year’s  albatross production—and at least 2,000 adults/subadults are lost.  Thousands of dead reef fish wash up on Eastern Island, and hundreds or  potentially several thousand adult/subadult Bonin petrels are buried alive  and die.  2011. Plans and costs to rehabilitate/repair the seaplane hangar are  finalized and contract bids are reviewed. The project is halted because of  the high cost.
June 16, 2011. A Boeing 747-400 makes an emergency landing because  of a cracked windshield.
Aug. 2, 2012. A military F-18 makes an emergency landing because of  an in-flight emergency.
November 14, 2012. Midway’s Public Visitation Program is suspended.
July 10, 2014. A Boeing 777 en route to Guam with 348 passengers  makes an unscheduled landing because of smoke in the cockpit.
November 20, 2014. An oversight hearing titled “Is the Midway Atoll  National Wildlife Refuge Being Properly Managed?” is held before the  Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs, House  Committee on Natural Resources.
July 14, 2015. Two U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets, one with a cabin  pressure malfunction, make an emergency landing on Midway.
section_title: Appendix III: Public Visitation to Midway Atoll Has Varied Substantially Over Time
paragraphs: Since 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provided a variety  of opportunities for the public to visit Midway Atoll (Midway). Given  Midway’s remote location in the Pacific Ocean, providing public access to  the wildlife refuge has been challenging. According to FWS officials we  interviewed, almost 20,000 people visited Midway from 1996 through  2012. This appendix provides additional information about three phases  of public visitation to Midway from 1996 to 2002, from 2003 to 2006, and  from 2007 to 2012.
subsections: section_title: FWS Implemented a Public Visitation Program through a Cooperative Agreement from 1996 to 2002
paragraphs: FWS entered into a cooperative agreement with the Midway Phoenix  Corporation in August 1996, amended in November 1997, to support a  public use program at Midway. Under the amended cooperative  agreement, FWS was responsible for establishing and enforcing national  wildlife refuge policies, rules, and regulations and providing staff and  expertise to assist in implementing and overseeing the public use  program. The Midway Phoenix Corporation, under the amended  cooperative agreement, was responsible for implementing and supporting  the public use program. The cooperative agreement also established that  the Midway Phoenix Corporation would provide the funding, staffing,  supplies, equipment, logistics, and services to accomplish its  responsibilities under the agreement. Under the agreement, the Midway  Phoenix Corporation retained revenue derived from the goods and  services it offered on Midway, including lodging and recreational  activities, such as boat and fishing trips. The agreement also required the  Midway Phoenix Corporation to provide the principal funding to develop,  implement, and maintain a compatible public use program on the refuge  and to contribute $200,000 per year to support FWS’s responsibilities  under the agreement because FWS would not be able to meet its  responsibilities without those funds.
Under the cooperative agreement, the Midway Phoenix Corporation  completed several capital improvement projects and coordinated air  transportation to and from Midway. Capital improvement projects included  the refurbishment of two barracks for overnight lodging, construction of a  new restaurant and bar (see fig. 10), and the installation of a cell phone  tower. According to the former executives of the Midway Phoenix  Corporation, their initial capital investments on Midway totaled  $15 million. Under the terms of the cooperative agreement, all newly  constructed property was property of the United States and the Midway  Phoenix Corporation did not have any claims to improvements made to  the government property. The Midway Phoenix Corporation, using the  Henderson Airfield runway, also coordinated air transportation from  Honolulu using Phoenix Air and Aloha Airlines. According to the former  Midway Phoenix Corporation executives we interviewed, air travel to  Midway was subsidized by the company.
The Midway Phoenix Corporation hired contractors to facilitate  recreational activities and coordinated tours to Midway with several tour  providers. Specifically, recreational activities were supported by  contractors that operated catch and release sport fishing and scuba  diving excursions (see fig. 11). Tour providers organized packages for  visitors to Midway around those and other recreational activities, such as  historic interpretation. In 1999, cruise ships also began to transport  visitors to Midway, although their visits were typically for less than a day.
FWS and the Midway Phoenix Corporation entered into a settlement  agreement in March 2002 that terminated their cooperative agreement  and a 2001 fuel delivery contract. As a result, FWS limited access to  Midway in January 2002.
section_title: FWS Did Not Implement a Public Visitation Program on Midway from 2002 to 2006, and Visitation to Midway Occurred Ad Hoc
paragraphs: From 2002 to 2006, FWS did not operate a regularly scheduled public  visitation program on Midway. Although FWS allowed the public to visit  Midway during that time, the agency did not coordinate commercial or  charter flights for the public as was the case under the prior public use  program operated by the cooperator. As a result, visitors to Midway  during this time arrived primarily by cruise ship, with a few additional  visitors who arrived via private sailboats and aircraft. Visitors were  required to obtain permission to travel to Midway from the refuge  manager to ensure staff availability. In order to accommodate visitors,  FWS charged cruise ship visitors a refuge access fee, and other costs  were paid by the cruise lines to bring interpretative staff to Midway. FWS  also supported commemorative events, such as the 62nd anniversary of  the Battle of Midway in 2004 where most visitors arrived by cruise ship.
section_title: FWS Reestablished a Public Visitation Program to Midway in 2007 after the Designation of the Marine National Monument
paragraphs: After the designation of the marine national monument in 2006, FWS  reestablished a public visitation program to Midway beginning in 2007.  Midway was established as a special management area and is the only  location within the marine national monument that can be used for public  visitation and recreation. However, this public visitation program operated  differently from the previous iteration in that any activity that took place  within the marine national monument was subject to the approval of the  Monument Management Board. The Monument Management Board  comprises representatives from the three agencies designated as co- trustees to manage the marine national monument—the state of Hawaii,  the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce. Under  this public visitation program, tour providers were responsible for  obtaining monument permits through the application process. Those  permit applications were evaluated and approved by the co-trustees.
Transportation to Midway under this public visitation program was  primarily by charter flights from Honolulu. Tour providers coordinated with  FWS to arrange for transportation to Midway on regularly scheduled  charter flights. FWS supported recreational activities and interpretative  tours and established a Midway visitor’s center and museum (see fig. 12).
However, unlike the previous public visitation program operated from  1996 to 2002, sport fishing was prohibited and FWS did not facilitate  scuba diving. FWS supported another commemorative event for the 65th  anniversary of the Battle of Midway in 2007. This public visitation program  was implemented by FWS until November 2012, when public visitation to  Midway was suspended because of resource constraints.
See table 5 for a summary of public visitation on Midway since 1996.
section_title: Appendix IV: Photographs of Historic and Selected Properties on Midway Atoll
paragraphs: We visited Midway Atoll (Midway) from April 7, 2015, to April 21, 2015,  to document the physical appearance of historic and other properties on  Midway, including on Sand and Eastern Islands. This appendix presents  selected photographs of properties that are National Historic Landmarks,  are eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places,  or have the potential to be used for public visitation. It also presents  photographs of other properties that were identified as important during  our interviews with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials and  stakeholders, including the former executives of the Midway Phoenix  Corporation and the International Midway Memorial Foundation. In total,  65 properties met our selection criteria and are included in this appendix.
In 2009, FWS conducted an on-site review of Midway properties to  determine their condition. Each property’s condition was rated on the  following scale: excellent, good, fair, poor, or failed. We did not  independently assess the condition or the FWS rating during our review.  Of the 65 properties included in this appendix, 35 properties were  determined by FWS to be in fair condition; 12 properties, in poor  condition; 8 properties, in fair to poor condition; 5 properties, in failed  condition; and 1 property, in fair to good condition. For 2 properties, the  condition was unknown. In addition, 2 of the properties were  condemned, meaning that the properties are no longer safe to enter.  None of the properties included in this appendix were assessed to be in  excellent or good condition.
The appendix is generally organized by the approximate date of  construction, with the oldest properties first and newer constructed  properties last. Each property is identified by a number, based on the  Navy facility number or a number assigned during a study of cultural  resources on Midway. For each property, FWS provided information  regarding its use status as of 2015. (See figs. 13 through 70.)
To view these photographs online, please click on this hyperlink.
section_title: Appendix V: Comments from the Department of the Interior
section_title: Appendix VI: Comments from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
section_title: Appendix VII: Comments from the State of Hawaii
section_title: Appendix VIII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: GAO Contact
section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: In addition to the contact named above, Jeff Malcolm (Assistant Director),  Carolyn Blocker, Patricia Donahue, Amanda Goolden, Cynthia Norris,  Carl Potenzieri, Dan Royer, Jerry Sandau, Ilga Semeiks, and Jeanette  Soares made key contributions to this report. Melanie Papasian Fallow,  Doug Manor, Ernest Powell Jr., and Timothy Walker made key  contributions to the multimedia for this report.