Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce a bill, the Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act. This bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land in Hawaii as the Kaena Point National Heritage Area. Such a designation would bring Federal resources to bear on elevating public awareness of Kaena Point through increased interpretation and enhanced management activities to protect resources, both cultural and natural, for future generations. The National Park Service currently oversees 55 National Heritage Areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaii. Kaena Point, located on the westernmost tip of Oahu, is home to some of the last remaining unimproved semiwilderness areas on Oahu and one of the last intact dune ecosystems in Hawaii. Native species such as critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, spinner dolphins, and green sea turtles can be found in the waters at Kaena Point. Native shorebirds such as albatrosses and shearwaters also frequent Kaena Point to nest. In addition, the area is one of the last remaining examples of intact coastal strand vegetation on Oahu and is home to a number of endangered plant species and the endangered yellow-faced bee. Kaena Point is significant to Native Hawaiian culture, being deemed one of the most sacred places on Oahu as it is home to numerous cultural and historic sites.…”