Midway Island is intended to be ‘The Door’ to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is 582,578 square miles in size, larger than any other land or ocean conservation area on earth. It is larger than all of American’s National Parks, combined and larger than the total land area of the entire State of Alaska. This entire area is off-limits to visitors, with exception of Midway. By design, Midway was intended to be ‘The Door to the Monument’. There is a Legal Mandate for The Door to remain open for Public Visitation – ‘The Door’ remains closed with no plan to reopen. The FWS claim they cannot accept visitors to the island, due to recent reductions in refuge staff and operational capacity. It has been proven that an Affordable Visitor Program can be operated and nearly self-sufficient, by including the Private Sector. This was proven with the Midway Phoenix Corporation and via two Feasibility Studies. The FWS has failed to find a Private Sector Operator to operate a Visitor Program, as promised they would do.
Since 2002, FWS has made media statements confirming they are will find an alternate Cooperator to operate a Visitor Program. The FWS has not advertised for an alternate Cooperator and the island remains closed to the public.
During the past 18 years, FWS has demolished buildings and infrastructure that would support Self-sustaining Visitor Program.