THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	31
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging the department of land and natural resources to conduct an extensive statewide pueo habitat inventory.

     WHEREAS, across the world, the owl serves as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge; and

     WHEREAS, the pueo, or Hawaiian short-eared owl, is an endemic subspecies of the short-eared owl and is thought to have colonized the Hawaiian islands sometime after the arrival of Polynesians; and

     WHEREAS, the pueo have a dark mask surrounding large, yellow eyes and, unlike most owls, are mostly active during the day and fly at high altitudes above open, grassy areas; and

     WHEREAS, the pueo nest on the ground in grassy areas, laying three to six eggs over a few months, and young pueo depend on their parents for approximately two months; and

     WHEREAS, the pueo is known as the "bird of wisdom" and has a special place in Hawaii's culture; and

     WHEREAS, the pueo is known for offering guidance and protection and is revered by the ancient Hawaiians as an ‘aumakua, or ancestral guardian, of many Hawaiian families; and

     WHEREAS, throughout the State there are streets, areas, schools, and valleys that use and reference the pueo; and

     WHEREAS, pueo were widespread at the end of the nineteenth century but are thought to be declining, especially on the Ewa plain; and

     WHEREAS, young pueo nestlings are vulnerable to feral cats, dogs, rats, and mongoose, and the State has listed the species as endangered on Oahu; and

     WHEREAS, state- and privately-supported management activities designed to protect other endangered birds and preserve habitats can benefit the pueo, as there are more pueo on lands where game birds also are common; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is urged to conduct an extensive statewide pueo habitat inventory in collaboration with the University of Hawaii, nonprofit environmental organizations, and other stakeholders; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to submit a report regarding the pueo habitat inventory, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, President of the University of Hawaii System, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and Commander of Navy Region Hawaii.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Department of Land and Natural Resources; Pueo Habitat; University of Hawaii