HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0988.037 2018-2020 Council of the County of Hawaii COUNTY CLERK
25 Aupuni Street Room 1401 COUNTY OF SWAT e T
Hilo, HI 96720 CEI D
Time 11:60am By
Aug. 5, 2020. 9 a.m.
Re: Comminication 988, Bill 178 rpt 4 420
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Dear Hawaii County Council members,
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I am writing to express my very strong support for Bill 178 which amends and updates the
county code for native forest dedications. Since 1992 I have devoted my professional and
personal life to the conservation and restoration of Hawaii's native forests. Bill 178 is a novel
and forward-thinking process to engage the public to play a role in the stewardship of our forests.
My masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Hawaii coupled with my 20-year
career as a scientist for the USDA Forest Service in Hawaii have opened my eyes to the reality
of protecting and restoring our native forests in Hawaii. Despite dedicated efforts to fight
threats to Hawai s native ecosystems, we are losing the war. Table 1.Ecosystem status for
Resources to protect remaining native areas and save Hawaii.Percentage of terrestrial
ecosystems surviving as native plant
endangered species are entirely inadequate for slowing down, communities(data from the Hawaii
let alone halting, the loss of Hawai'i's native species and conservation Alliance).
ecosystems. While many lands across Hawaii have Ecosystem Percent of
conservation status, invasive non-native pathogens,plants, and Types Original
Ecosystem
animals are rapidly destroying our native ecosystems. Less than Remaining
half of Hawai'i's land area currently remains as native Lowland Dry 5%
Forest
dominated vegetation(Table 1). In addition, less than 5% of Lowland
these areas are adequately managed to ensure their future Mesic Forest 17%
survival. The current trajectory for these ecosystems is one of Lowland Wet 53%
Forest
continued rapid degradation and loss, and global climate change Montane Dry o
will likely accelerate the pace of this decline. If we continue
Forest 411°
along our current trajectory, within the lifetimes of our children, Montane 44%
Mesic Forest
Hawaii will lose most of her remaining native ecosystems and Montane Wet 90%
with them, many of the native plants and animals they support. Forest
Hawaii has already lost over a thousand species of plants, subalpine 90%
birds, and invertebrates to extinction, and leads the United Alpine 99%
States in numbers of plants and animals listed as threatened or Total 46%
endangered(394 federally listed threatened or endangered
species). One out of every three native Hawaiian plants is
already extinct, endangered, or at-risk of becoming endangered. Any efforts proposed by
county, state and or federal agencies to enhance and encourage public involvement in forest
stewardship will help us transform our relationship with the land, water,plants, and animals
that sustain and inspire us.
While efforts to restore native ecosystems are ongoing, the challenges often outweigh the effort
(i.e. invasive species including pathogens such as Rapid `Ohi`a Death, wildfires, and drought).
The categories proposed in Bill 178, including functional and successional forests are innovative
and based in reality. The promotion of functional forests—i.e. using native and non-native but
Comm. No. q88.y7
Ref. To: COuCICi�_
Ref. Date M 2020
noninvasive species is grounded on long term research showing a reduction in weedy species and
a promotion of native species while also reducing the amount of maintenance effort. Non-
native/noninvasive species can include many of our beloved canoe plants such as Ulu,Niu,
Kukui, Kou, Kamani and Ti thereby adding utility and sustenance while conserving native
biodiversity.
The preservation of successional (lava) lands put forth in Bill 178 is the most forward-thinking
aspect of this bill. To many—these lands have no value, but for a native forest they are a
welcome map to begin life. Ecological succession is defined as the process of change in the
species structure of an ecological community over time. Species that arrive first in a newly
created environment (such as a lava flow) are called pioneer species, and they,through their
interactions with one another,build biological communities. In a sense—the protection of
successional lands is the ultimate form of natural restoration. Further, our iconic and beloved
`Ohi`a lehua(Metrosideros polymorphs) is one of the only woody species that can thrive in this
environment. By encouraging protection of successional lands, we are protecting the future of
`Ohi`a.
For these reasons I urge you to support these amendments. This is for our future.
With Aloha,
Susan Cordell, PhD