Senator Mazie Hirono's office issued the following today:
February 07, 2019
Hirono Urges Swift Passage of Bipartisan Public Lands Package that Includes Critical Hawaii Priorities
Natural Resources Management Act includes Permanent Reauthorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Hirono-Supported Legislation to Expand Conservation Corps Programs, and Hirono-Sponsored Legislation to Expand and Improve Volcano Monitoring
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) took to the Senate floor to urge the swift passage of S.47, the Natural Resources Management Act.
The sweeping bipartisan public lands package includes, among other
critical Hawaii priorities, a permanent reauthorization of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund, legislation to expand Conservation Corps
programs like KUPU, and legislation Senator Hirono introduced in the 115th Congress to expand and improve volcano monitoring across the country.
From Senator Hirono’s remarks:
On the Importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund for Hawaii:
“The Natural Resources Management Act is a
great example of what the Senate can accomplish when we come together
on a bipartisan basis to get things done. Although we certainly have
disagreements on energy and climate policy, a broad bipartisan consensus
supports strengthening and expanding conservation programs like the
Land and Water Conservation Fund – a program whose transformative impact
is felt in every state in our country.
“Over the past 50 years, the LWCF has
provided nearly $250 million in funding for Hawaii to protect some of
our most cherished public spaces – including Hawaii Volcanoes National
Park, Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, and the Ala Kahakai National
Historic Trail. LWCF funding has also gone towards protecting state and
private forests, as well as efforts to protect our native species and
watersheds.
“The LWCF also funds the Forest Legacy Program,
which helps states and private owners protect and enhance forested
habitats. The program has leveraged over $22 million of federal funding
for Hawaii’s forests over the past 50 years.
“Most recently, the Forest Legacy Program helped
facilitate the acquisition of the Helemano Wilderness Area on Oahu.
This land includes high quality native forest that is home to the
endangered Hawaiian Hoary Bat and a watershed that is the primary source
of drinking water for a third of the people on Oahu.
“Program funding will facilitate invasive
species removal and reforestation. It will also provide public access to
hunting and camping areas, which are limited on Oahu. Forest protection
and conservation is particularly important as we face the threat of
catastrophic climate change. Protecting these lands and forests can help
mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, cooling the earth,
and regenerating our watersheds.”
On the need to pass the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Act to Support Organizations like KUPU:
“The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps
bill included in the Natural Resources Management Act supports programs
like KUPU that seek to nurture the next generation of environmental
stewards.
“In testimony before the Energy and Natural
Resources Committee last Congress, KUPU’s CEO John Leong spoke to the
transformative impact of participating in a conservation corps program.
He cited two inspiring examples of Corps members who have gone on to do
meaningful work in the environmental and conservation space.
“He shared the story of Jon Brito from Molokai
who was awarded the White House Champion of Change award in the years
following his participation in KUPU programming and who has since chosen
a career in conservation.
“Another KUPU Corps participant, Justine
Espiritu, recently helped to launch Honolulu’s popular and revolutionary
Biki bike share.
“More young adults in Hawaii and across the country will have their own transformative experiences if we pass this legislation.”
On the Necessity of Passing the National Volcano and Early Warning and Monitoring System Act:
“Last year, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
(HVO) was instrumental in studying and responding to the 3-month-long
eruption of Kilauea.
“This eruption devastated a number of
communities – destroying more than 700 homes and displacing thousands of
people, including United States Geological Survey staff and scientists
who operated out of the HVO facility in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
“Over the coming months and years, impacted
homes, farms, and even the observatory will need to be rebuilt. At the
same time, it will be critically important to have the most updated
monitoring and communication technology to alert and protect impacted
communities from future events.
“Our legislation will unify and connect the
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory with the other four observatories across
the country into one National Volcano Early Warning System.
“It will also create a Volcano Watch Office that
will operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to provide continuous
situational awareness of all active volcanoes in the U.S. and its
territories, including Kilauea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
“Our legislation will also create a grant
program for the research and development of emerging technologies for
volcano monitoring.”
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