<div style="color:black;font: 10pt arial;">Hello DXers,
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<div>My government spectrum management job involves dealing with federal agencies, one of which is the Dept. of the Interior.</div>

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<div>DOI has a spectrum management office; and some years ago, the director was Michael "Sparky" Terry, KD4KL.</div>

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<div>Sparky and I became good friends, and we stay in touch even after he retired abt 20 years ago.</div>

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<div>One of Sparky's responsibilities at DOI was to occasionally travel to the DOI Pacific Islands and inspect, etc.</div>

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<div>He used to take a rig out there and make a few hundred QSOs. </div>

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<div>We exchanged holiday greetings recently, and I asked the question about possible DXpeditions to the islands.</div>

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<div>We had some email exchanges that I am copying below.  He's been retired for a long time, so some of the info may not be valid, esp the USAF operations.  He talks about Johnston.  I followed up with a question on Wake that I waiting for a reply. </div>

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<div>It's too bad that we lost our best diplomat, K3ZO, who could provide his wisdom towards possible DXpeditions.</div>

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<div>One possible strategy to get approval would be to include a research scientist, either a ham or not a ham, go with the DXpedition, with the DXpedition paying his way. The scientist would conduct research, etc.  Including a scientist could facilitate approval of the DXpedition.   </div>

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<div>73</div>

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<div>Fred</div>

<div>W3ICM</div>

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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">W3ICM to Sparky</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold; background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Some of the guys in my DX club raised the point that islands like
Johnston and Wake have not been active for a long time.  Are they still
under DOI??   If so, can hams do a DXpedition there?<o:p></o:p></span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Would appreciate your advice on the islands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sparky’s Reply</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>



<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>



<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Well, both are still nominally under control of the Department of
the Interior/National Wildlife Service & both seem to have policies
discouraging activities not directly associated with environmental and/or
wildlife studies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I understand the airfield on Johnston Island is no longer used by
commercial airlines so access (if approved) is no longer an option.  No
known regular shipping  companies schedule visits to my knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My guess is they would only allow operation by a ham operator
otherwise employed by the government or contractor on the island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>



<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Some DXpeditions charter a large ship that stays until the
DXpedition is over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So that’s possible, but DOI permission would be needed for a
group to go ashore.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>



<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>



<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We could ask DOI for permission,  maybe get a Congressman
to support the effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sparky
reply</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>



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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">It’s
possible that a high level “political” approach could work. However in my day
there were several classified activities (USAF) ongoing that would, in my
opinion, probably preclude approval.  </span><o:p></o:p></div>



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either of the islands, but even they would be required to obtain appropriate
clearances in advance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>



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