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Table le. B'10cultural Stewardship Challenges Native Habitat • Hawai'i has been known as the extinction capital of the world. • Climate change and sea level rise pose threats to existing habitats for native flora and fauna. • Longer and/or more severe weather and climate change may increase the likelihood of wildfires. • Invasive species continue to pose a threat to native and endemic species as well economic, environmental, and human health. • The carrying capacity of our resources is not comprehensively modeled and monitored. • The County lacks specific regulations for wetlands, riparian ecosystems, or other valuable habitats. Watersheds • Sea level rise has and will continue to impact freshwater resources through saltwater infiltration. • The island's coastal waters are affected by an increase in pollution, such as marine debris and plastics, as well as effluents, pollutants, and toxins from nearshore sources such as cesspools, septic systems, and injection wells. • There is a lack of water quality monitoring on the island. • Green infrastructure planning has not been institutionalized. • Watershed protection and management require collaboration and coordination across all levels of government and must include effective community engagement. Stewardship • The County has a limited budget for its large-scale geographic responsibility for the protection of public trust natural and cultural resources. • Hawai'i Island has a large variation of unique biomes and ecosystems. • The difference between traditional and modern practices along with varying mauka to makai ownership makes it difficult to comprehensively steward natural resources. Cultural & Historic • The County's role and involvement in cultural and historic resources can be difficult to discern. Assets . Miscommunication between different stakeholder groups can lead to conflict over community values. • Restoration and reformation of cultural and historic resources are complex and incentives for remediation and conservation are limited. • There is a lack of cultural understanding and `aina-based identity (e.g., place names) across the general population. • Identification of cultural and historic resources rarely occurs unless triggered by a development permitting application, making it difficult to plan comprehensively. Scenic Character • The County has not developed a scenic resources protection program, including view impact procedures, criteria, and standards. • The uncontrollable growth of and inability to eradicate invasive species (e.g., Albizia) obstruct viewsheds or can change the character of a scenic resource. 2.0 Collaborative Biocultural Stewardship I County of Hawaii General Plan