HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

234

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

urging the secretary of the interior to designate a new national seashore from 'ahihi-kina'u natural area reserve to kanaloa point on the southeast coast of maui.

 

 

WHEREAS, approximately eight miles of land and shoreline along Maui's southern coast from 'Ahihi-Kina'u to Kanaloa Point is rich in archaeological, cultural, historical, and natural resources; and

WHEREAS, it has been noted that settlements along this coastline date to as early as 1100 A.D.; and

WHEREAS, this area includes numerous native Hawaiian archaeological and cultural features, such as trails and sites for former houses, heiau, fishing shrines, platforms, enclosures, shelters, walls, graves, and canoe hale; and

WHEREAS, on May 29, 1786, French explorer Admiral Jean Francois Galaup, Compte de la Perouse, the first European to set foot on Maui, landed at this area; and

WHEREAS, although this area is comprised of relatively unweathered lava, there are pockets of unique native plants and animals, some of which are rare or endangered species such as the 'akoko shrubland, plants such as the pololei (Ophioglossum concinum) and 'ihi (Portulaca vilosa), pond vegetation such as the makaloa (Cyperus laevigatus), and other fragile eco-life such as Blackburn's sphinx moth (Manduca blacburni); and

WHEREAS, native ecosystems, such as anchialine pools and coral reefs, are found along this coastline; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Legislature recognized the value of this area by designating two thousand forty-five acres as the 'Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area Reserve in 1973; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of tourists visit this area each day, providing a unique opportunity for them to view, learn, and appreciate this important area; and

WHEREAS, enforcement is seriously needed in this area as it is currently unprotected from operators of four-wheel-drive vehicles who are unknowingly destroying valuable resources at this site due to lack of supervision, signage, and cultural interpretation materials; and

WHEREAS, the National Park Service has been the primary federal agency charged with preserving and providing for public enjoyment of America's most significant natural and cultural properties since 1872; now, therefore;

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature hereby urges the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the importance of the 'Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area Reserve to Kanaloa Point area by designating it a National Seashore; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior, and the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

'Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area Reserve to Kanaloa Point; Natural Area Reserve