President Bush is considering leaving a blue legacy for future generations, which might make him a major figure in conservation history. Using the broad powers given to him under the Antiquities Act of 1906, President George W. Bush could protect vast stretches of US territorial waters from fishing, oil exploration, and commercial development.

According to conservationists, a small number of ocean advocates were invited last year to a private meeting to discuss the idea of ocean conservation. The White House was interested in setting conservation goals which would be achievable before they left office. Conservationists helped to identify 30 potential reserves in waters within the United States’ “exclusive economic zone”, which extends 200 nautical miles out from the mainland and US owned islands around the world. The White House has shortened the list from 30 potential candidates to about 5 finalists say scientists involved in the process. The list, however, hasn’t been released to the public and changes in the list finalists are still possible. Typically, creating marine reserves requires the approval of Congress and a long process which requires public input. By using the Antiquities Act, which gives a president power to protect areas of scientific or historic interest without congressional approval, the White House can sidestep these requirements. Since 1906, the act has been used over 100 times by various presidents, to create 125 national monuments. President Teddy Roosevelt used the act to protect about 230 million acres of land across the country. Conservationists say that President Bush has the chance to make conservation history by protecting even more ocean area than this, which could make him “the Teddy Roosevelt of the seas.”