THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	121
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

SUPPORTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL OCEAN COUNCIL for hawaii AND the SURROUNDING ECONOMIC ENTERPRISE ZONE THAT EMPHASIZES STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

     WHEREAS, twenty federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency; US Army Corps of Engineers; Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service; Department of Health and Human Services; Fish and Wildlife Service; National Parks Service; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration currently administer one hundred forty laws affecting the nation's fresh and salt water resources, with little coordination among them; and

     WHEREAS, the myriad of numerous federal agencies having jurisdiction over fresh and salt water creates confusion and results in policies and actions that can harm the overall health of our island ecosystems and oceans; and

     WHEREAS, the increasing demands on our oceans threatens the fragile health of marine ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, if poorly planned or managed:

     (1)  Prime fishing grounds may be irreparably harmed;

     (2)  Fishing access may be threatened; and

     (3)  Ocean recreation, developing aquaculture, building wind, wave and tidal energy facilities all have the potential to come into spatial conflict; and

     WHEREAS, President Barack Obama assembled an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force to recommend a comprehensive policy to protect and restore ocean, Great Lakes, and Pacific Island ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, a public meeting was held in Honolulu in September 2009 where over three hundred individuals voiced approval:

(1)  Of a regional process of protection and restoration of water resource; and

     (2)  To support extending overarching efforts to all of our aquatic ecosystems and the multiple agencies that care for them; and

     WHEREAS, hundreds of invasive species choke our reefs, costing the region hundreds of millions of dollars per year in tourism and fish replenishment; and

WHEREAS, bottom-dwelling invasive fish out-compete native sport fish for food which harms the sport-fishing industry; and

WHEREAS, the degradation wetland areas and harmful algae blooms harms our recreational and sport fishing economy; and

     WHEREAS, the regional implementation of a comprehensive national ocean policy could provide a major economic benefit to restore efforts to provide a short-term economic boost, while revitalizing traditional, cultural and commercial activities, like fishing and tourism which pay long-term dividends; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, that the Legislature requests President Obama to establish by Executive Order a national policy to protect, maintain and restore the health of marine ecosystems, and provide a guaranteed, steady source of funding for ocean and coastal conservation and management in order to implement the new policy, ensure it is carried out by the federal government and, to the extent possible, by the states, through comprehensive, science-based, including traditional knowledge, and precautionary management of marine resources; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature supports the establishment of a Regional Ocean Council for Hawaii and the surrounding economic enterprise zone that emphasizes stakeholder and public participation where the planning process would be fully transparent and participatory, requiring frequent and robust stakeholder engagement throughout all steps of the process in development, adoption, implementation, adaptation, and evaluation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congress is requested to robustly fund this effort; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Hawaii's congressional delegation, and the Governor.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

National Ocean Policy