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Conservation is the rational use of the earth's resources to achieve the highest quality of living for the majority of the people. Mans' activities involve directly or indirectly various degrees of conservation measures.

Papua Neu Guinea is reach with a tremendous amount of tililolife including plants and animals. The country ia ragged with steep slopes and with abundant growth of natural vegetation. This mokes it extremely difficult to trav/el from one place to another. Because of tre remoteness of the country, of ihe wildlife resources ja unsccilt or untouched* In Papua New Guinea all of the Wildlife habitat area is native owned by individual clans or Lnder a complex form of Village ownership. This applies throughout Dapua New Guinea. Because the UJildlife Areas are native owned, the txaditional use Of wildlife haDitat and natural resources will continue and be encouraged. However care must be taken to manage wisely the wildlife habitat with its resources.

Although the atoll was discovered in 1796 and claimed by the United States in 1858, it was uninhabited except for brief visits by guano miners, adventurers, government scientists and military personnel until 1936, when the U.S. Navy began developing first a seaplane base and later an airstrip and refueling facilities which served as an important link from the Hawaiian Islands to the western Pacific during World War II.