HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

153

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

supporting efforts by the ko'olau greenbelt and heritage trails system to provide a holistic approach to watershed protection and encourage public and private partnerships to determine the future of the entire ko'olau system.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii's unique environment and natural resources are tightly interwoven with its culture and heritage, and help fulfill the spiritual, recreational, and economic needs of Hawaii's residents; and

WHEREAS, the Ko'olau Mountain range not only represents a culturally significant landmark, but also contains critical habitats for almost 100 native plants and animals and essential watershed lands that help preserve our supply of clean water; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to protect the Ko'olau watersheds and endangered species and educate visitors and residents on the unique natural, cultural, and historical significance of the Ko'olau mountain range and surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS, community-based initiatives have already been planned and implemented, including start-up grants provided by the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, and private sector sources to plan and offer recreational and cultural activities, in the makai areas of Windward, Oahu, and along the makai and mauka trails, such as eco-tourism, fishing, paddling, and hiking, including using traditional ahupua'a trail sites; and

WHEREAS, the Windward Ahupua'a Alliance (Alliance), a private nonprofit organization, has taken the lead in securing grants and public and private support to plan and implement educational and stewardship activities with monthly programs designed to promote national awareness and community involvement in the long-term health and beauty of the Ko'olau Mountains; and

WHEREAS, there will be several educational opportunities provided by the Alliance, including:

(1) The Service and Learning Tours, a program that, over a two-week period, provides 1,000 volunteer hours by 20 visiting eco-tourists who work four-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week, in an environmental stewardship project;

(2) The Bust-A-Dumper campaign, a program that promotes community clean-ups and public awareness regarding illegal dumping, which the Alliance has established on Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai;

(3) Field trips and site visits to different areas to analyze economic activities and their impact on the windward watersheds; and

(4) Community stewardship projects that have strong educational and cultural components;

and

WHEREAS, these projects and activities are components of the Ko'olau Greenbelt and Heritage Trails System, which is dedicated to preserving and restoring the Ko'olau mountain range, including its watersheds, by encouraging public-private partnerships and community input; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that this body supports the efforts by the Ko'olau Greenbelt and Heritage Trails System to:

(1) Provide a holistic approach to watershed protection for the entire Ko'olau system;

(2) Encourage public and private partnerships to determine the future of the Ko'olau system;

(3) Integrate traditional ahupua'a land management systems used by the kanaka maoli with 21st century scientific techniques to provide a sustainable approach to land management that relies on community input and decision-making; and

(4) Develop life-long formal and informal educational, community-based stewardship projects and recreational and cultural activities for particular areas within 36 ahupua'a in the moku of Ko'olau Loa and Ko'olau Poko;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Directors of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Land and Natural Resources, and Agriculture, and the Windward Ahupua'a Alliance.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Ko'olau Greenbelt and Heritage Trails System