Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
There were two settlements on Abariringa (Hydrographer of the Navy 1969). The northern
settlement was the United States National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA)
Stellite Tracking station and meteorological station. There were about 60 U.S. personnel at
this station. The Gilbertese settlement of about 100 people was on the southern side.
The hotel and other installations had fallen into disrepair (Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
The District Commissioner of the Phoenix Islands District still maintained a house and
residency on the shore of the lagoon inside the opening. There was a small boat pier at this
site.
Abariringa (Canton) became a port of entry for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony
(Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
In 1967, the aviation facilities on Abariringa (Kanton) were closed (Douglas and Douglas
1994; see also Bryan 1974).
In 1967, the NASA satellite tracking station on Abariringa (Canton) was closed (Levy 1996;
see also Garnett 1983a; 1968 according to Planetary Coral Reef Foundation 2004). Control
of the facility passed to the U.S. Air Force. The unused facility was being taken care of by an
i-Kiribati family. The U.S. turned over these facilities to the Government of Kiribati (Levy
1996) [year of turnover not specified]. According to Stack (1982), the Government of
American Samoa was authorized to salvage whatever it wanted from the deactivated site.
Then Abariringa (Canton) was abandoned.
Near the northwestern end of Abariringa (Canton), there was an aircraft light tower that was
12.2 m in height (Hydrographer of the Navy 1969). There was a beacon 3.4 m high on a
wood structure on the western side of the boat channel (Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
In 1968, Topham Field, Abarirnga (Canton) was relegated to emergency airport status (Oates
2003). The FAA and the Government of Amerian Samoa were the caretakers. Equipment
was removed and transported to Western Samoa. The post office was removed and the
Brfitish District Officer was transferred. There were no activities and no work to sustain the
economy.
In 1968, there were no residents on Abariringa (Canton), Orona (Hull), and Nikumaroro
(Gardner) (Zwart and Groenewegen 1968).
In the fall of 1968, the U.S. Air Force dispatched a small security force (of American
Samoans) to remain on location. This security force stayed until September 1970 (Oastes
2003).
In 1969, the Canton Operating Location was set up by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile
Test Center (SMTC) (Stack 1982; see also Oates 2003; 1970 according to Garnett 1983a).
The initial function was to test the accuracy of Minuteman missiles fired from Vandenbeg Air
Force Base (AFB) in California. It later became part of the world wide Space Track network.
Tall radar towers were constructed on Orona (Hull), Abariringa (Canton), and Enderbury as
part of the missile tracking system (Stack 1982).
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