COM 0942.027 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~A~'E1Ij For the Protection of Hawaii's Native Wildlife r HAWAII AUDUBON SOCIETY W 850 Richards Street, Suite 505, Honolulu, HI 96813-4709 G'~ Phone/Fax: (808) 528-1432; hiaudsoc@pixi.com .~ON S~ www.hawaiiaudubon.com Date: February 3, 2008 To: Hawaii County Council Committee on Public Safety and Parks and Recreation Re: Committee hearing on Communication 942 (Bill 224) Relating to Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Places TESTIMONY IN STRONG SUPPORT Chair Ikeda, Vice Chair Yoshimoto and members of the committee. The Hawaii Audubon Society would like to offer this testimony in strong support of Bill 224. The Hawaii Audubon Society was founded in 1939, and has over 1,500 dedicated members statewide. The Society's primary mission is the protection of Hawaii's wildlife and habitats. The Society supports efforts that improve habitat resources and protects our endemic bird species. It is well known that our ecosystems are under attack. Hawaii has the highest number of listed threatened and endangered species in the nation. There are 394 threatened and endangered species in the State of Hawaii, of which 294 are plants. Many of these threatened and endangered species reside on the Big Island. We know that cigarette butt litter is a major problem at our beaches, in the ocean and throughout the watersheds which carry water, trash and debris to our beaches. Cigarette butts discarded in parking lots, along sidewalks and in street gutters miles from the coast inevitably make their way through storm drains, creeks and rivers to the beach and the ocean. Direct litter of cigarette butts at the beach adds to the problem. It isn't just a matter of unsightly trash and litter. Toxins from cigarettes collect on the filter and are then washed out into our waterways and the ocean. Birds and sea mammals ingest the butts, thinking that it's food. All of us can do things to eliminate cigarette litter throughout our watersheds. Printed nrt 1011');, Pncl-C'nn~rrmdr Recrilerl Prrpee