Blue Legacy for Bush?

Say what you will about President George W. Bush's environmental record, he's willing to entertain big ideas when it comes to protecting the ocean.

According to National Public Radio, the Bush folks are looking at designating several marine national monuments to safeguard exceptional sites in the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

While some of the proposals are drawing early opposition because they could conflict with future commercial exploitation, those that remain on the table could leave Bush with a "blue legacy." He took a first step in that direction two years ago when he designated the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.

As the NPR story notes, the Administration is considering sites "without tremendous political blow back" that could be established before Bush leaves office next January. The proposals have the support of ocean conservation organizations, and at least one -- protecting deep sea coral reefs off the South Carolina coast -- is backed by that state's Republican governor, Mark Sanford.

It's an exciting prospect, and one consistent with a similar bold step taken by the first President Bush when he established the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in September 1992 -- two months before he lost his re-election bid to Bill Clinton.