The DXpedition community reached out 2 weeks ago and asked if ARRL would join them in responding to a request for comment with regard to a new Monument Management Plan for the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

If you are unfamiliar, this monument is a region of the Pacific Ocean with a handful of islands, atolls, and reef that are uninhabited and now protected.  With a Compatibility Ruling that USFWS issued regarding Baker Island, they found that allowing amateur radio operators to land and operate from Baker was compatible with the purpose of the monument and provided a list of requirements to follow tied to the permit.

The committee developing the new Monument Management Plan already has a favorable view of amateur radio, but the DXpedition community wants to ensure that plenty of positive comments are submitted to reinforce our ability to obtain permits to operate from within the Monument entities.

Attached are the comments I filed on Friday with NOAA/USFWS.

David