Ka Pou Kākoʻo
Manager
Kia’i Kānāwai
Compliance Enforcement
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Na Lāma Kukui
Suite 200
560 N. Nimitz Hwy
Honolulu, HI 96817
594-0220
FROM: Michael
Kumukauoha Lee
OHA
Beneficiary
February
7, 2018
RE: SENATE BILL 2078
The
committee(s) on AEN/WTL/HRE has scheduled a public hearing on 02-09-18 2:15PM
in conference room 224.
Aloha
Mr. Kai Markell,
I object to the decimation of wildlife
habitat conducive to the Hawaiian short-eared owl (Asio flammeus
sandwichensis), the pueo, of which is endangered on Oahu.
An ornithologist working on Project
Pueo (Dr. Javier Cotin) substantiated and quantified the presence for pueo at
the University of Hawaii West Oahu Makai Parcel, non-campus lands; Private
Development Lands, East Kapolei, Oahu, last year.
In short, the intent and purpose of
SB2078 is to identify where it is on Oahu that pueo are proliferating and to map
the locations as a tool to monitor and manage the species.
Because the State of Hawaii is already
in receipt of a report that identifies where pueo are currently inhabiting, and
what habitat exists for pueo where, and this data already mapped for the State,
what purpose does SB2028 serve?
If SB2078 were to pass and the concept
to tag, monitor, manage, and possibly captive breed the pueo to enhance
recovery efforts - the passage of HB2629 would do just that. HB2629 is to achieve that result being sought
by SB2078 right now. Link to HB2629:
The University of Hawaii West Oahu
(UHWO) campus has a 150-acre pueo habitat in existence today on the non-campus
lands. If not protected today, it will
be lost tomorrow.
SB2078, albeit well intended, is
compounding the cumulative harm to my Native Hawaiian Cultural Practices by
delaying the protection needed now of known pueo habitat on State owned land.
SB2078 will delay protecting and
preserving the pueo habitat in existence at UHWO for another two-years, after
which, the 150-acre pueo habitat known to exist at UHWO will be decimated and
extinguished from the UHWO property.
SB2078 can be improved by amending it
and adding new language to dedicate the 150-acre pueo habitat preserve at
UHWO. SB2078 is the vehicle and tool to
implement and activate HRS Chapter 195D (1) of which provides the necessary
funding and access for the State to acquire habitat for endangered
species. This in turn, would then satisfy
the original intent and purpose of SB2078, to save pueo habitat. Link to HRS Chapter 195D:
Mr. Markell, I give you permission to
forward and publish this testimonial as a guide to ensure the cumulative harm
to my Native Hawaiian Cultural Practices is not further compromised.
My suggestion for immediate resolve is,
that per the confines of HRS Chapter 195D, your office initiate relief to the
pueo and protect our Hawaiian rights per Article XII, Section VII, of the State
of Hawaii Constitution, by providing testimony to the three committees at the
hearing on the 9th of February that State land is available right
now that can be used to study the pueo.
UHWO has the jurisdiction and authority
per HRS Chapter 195D, to request from the State, that the 150-acre pueo habitat
as defined in HB2629, can be dedicated to a land use policy to research the pueo-
right on campus, at a university setting- and as such, would be a natural fit
and most cost effective.
Please consider contacting Dr. Javier
Cotin who was the ornithologist identified that quantified the pueo at UHWO via
the Project Pueo Report. Link to report:
Chapter195D is and does what SB2078
proposes to do----- they both seek the same ends.
Hence, SB2078 is redundant, and would
be considered obsolete if the State Department of Land and Natural Resources
Division of Forestry and Wildlife simply initiated Chapter 195D at UHWO- the
place to research the pueo would then be secure- and since the pueo habitat
already exists on State land, doable today.
Aloha Ke Akua Pono Nui;,
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