The ARRL has deleted two Pacific islands from its list of
"DX entities" that count toward the DXCC award and others that are
based on the DXCC list. According to the ARRL, the decision is an unintended
consequence of last year's expansion of the Papahānaumokuākea
Marine National
Monument to include the northwestern Hawaiian
islands west of Ni'ihau, including Midway. That portion of the
monument is now administered by the State of Hawaii. Until this change in status, Midway had separate administration – making it eligible for DXCC status – and Kure, previously under Hawaiian administration, was separated from the rest of the state by Midway, giving it separate DXCC status. With Midway now under Hawaiian administration, it no longer qualifies as a distinct entity, and Kure is no longer separated from the rest of Hawaii by a different DX entity. Both islands now count as part of Hawaii, with the change retroactive to August 26, 2016, the date the changes in governance took effect. Both islands are accessible only by permission.