Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Network
Hawaii Audubon Society Thanks Hawaii's Mayors and County Councils
by Keiko Bonk, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Communications CoordinatorHawaii Audubon Society is presently working with a coalition of local and national environmental and Hawaiian organizations to protect the Northwestem Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Thanks to the generous fiscal assistance of PEW Family Charitable Trust, two full time Northwestern Hawaiian Island consult-ants have joined HAS staff to assist in this campaign. As part of this campaign HAS is pursuing Hawaii's political and business leadership for support of full protection of the northwestern islands. In the summer of 2005 Hawaii Audubon Society began the campaign to inform the mayors and county council members of the need to protect this special wild place.
Hawaii Audubon Society thanks the County Councils of Hawai'i for introducing and adopting three of the four council resolutions in support of the northwest islands. These resolutions advocate support for the Hawai'i State Marine Refuge rules and regulations, which were approved and adopted in September 2005; support of the NWHI National Marine Refuge Act introduced in Congress by Representative Ed Case; advocates that the National Marine Sanctuary Program prohibit all extractive uses in the proposed federal sanctuary; and advocates prohibiting all commercial activities, while protecting Native Hawaiian cultural, religious and subsistence practices, and allowing only limited and appropriate scientific and educational activities. We appreciate the grassroots leadership the County Councils have taken to care for Hawaii's natural and cultural resources.
Councilmembers JoAnn Yukimura of Kaua'i, Dain Kane of Maui and Robert Jacobson of Hawai'i lsland introduced the NWHI resolutions that were adopted in 2005. The City and County of Honolulu Resolution, introduced by Council Vice Chair Anne Kobayashi, is pending in the Council Planning Committee.
Hawaii Audubon Society also thanks Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa and Hawai'i Island Mayor Harry Kim for their letters of support. We appreciate their conscientious effort made to care for this delicate ecosystem. HAS also requested letters of support from Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. We have provided these leaders with the information needed to complete their letters.
The adopted resolutions and letters from our local leaders have been sent to Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Chairperson James Connaughton of the Council on Environmental Quality; Senators lnouye and Akaka; Representatives Abercrombie and Case; and Governor Lingle.
For more information please contact Keiko Bonk at Hawaii Audubon Society, 548-3474 or nwhibonk@earthlink.net.