Executive Order 13022: Administration of the Midway Islands
President: Bill Clinton
Transferred Midway from Navy to Interior, dissolved its defensive sea and airspace reservations and directed administration as a national wildlife refuge.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 13022 still in effect? Yes. Active transfer; Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service continue to administer Midway as a refuge within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
What does Executive Order 13022 do?
EO 13022 ended nearly a century of Navy jurisdiction over Midway, transferred the islands to Interior, and placed refuge and civil administration with the Fish and Wildlife Service. It dissolved the old naval defensive sea area and airspace reservation and set purposes including biodiversity, wildlife conservation, treaty obligations, research, education, compatible recreation and historic preservation. Midway remains a national wildlife refuge and memorial inside Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, with access currently restricted to mission-supporting activity.
Before and after
Before the order
Midway remained under Navy jurisdiction and old wartime sea and airspace reservations.
After the order
Interior assumed civil administration and FWS managed the atoll as a wildlife refuge.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Interior and FWS | Administer the refuge and civil government | Continuing |
| Navy | Retain responsibility for proceedings already pending on transfer | Transitional |
| FWS | Balance conservation, research, compatible use and history | Continuing |
What happened next
EO 13022 transferred administration to Interior.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order controls the jurisdictional transfer while refuge statutes, monument proclamations, wildlife law and federal territorial provisions govern present management.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 13022 (opens in a new tab) Order text
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →