HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 462 Draft 01 2006-2008 „iY o• N,
COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
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RESOLUTION NO. 462 08
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING S.B.958 S.D.1 H.D.1 TO IMPOSE ATEN-YEAR
MORATORIUM ON DEVELOPING, TESTING, PROPAGATING, CULTIVATING,
GROWING, AND RAISING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED TARO IN THE STATE
OF HAWAII.
WHEREAS, kalo (Colocasia esculenta), the Hawaiian word for taro, is a culturally
significant plant to the kanaka maoli, Hawai`i's indigenous peoples; and
WHEREAS, today, there remain approximately 85 varieties of taro from the hundreds
that were known in Hawaii and, of these, the majority (69) are unique to the Hawaiian Islands
due to the horticultural skills of native Hawaiian farmers; and
WHEREAS, the important cultural relationship between kalo and the kanaka maoli
expresses the spiritual and physical well-being of not only the kanaka maoli and their heritage,
but also symbolizes the environmental, social, and cultural values important to the State of
Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, cross pollination of genetically modified taro would place an immeasurable
threat on traditional varieties; and
WHEREAS, experimenting with the genetic engineering of this crop without thoroughly
examining and evaluating the adverse effects of that process is careless and could very well have
far-reaching, irreversible, and unintended consequences; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of S.B.958 S.D.1 H.D.1 is to recognize the importance of kalo
in the heritage of the State by creating aten-year moratorium on developing, testing,
propagating, cultivating, growing, and raising of genetically modified taro in the State of
Hawaii; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the
Hawaii State Legislature pass S.B.958 S.D.1 H.D.1 to impose aten-year moratorium on
developing, testing, propagating, cultivating, growing, and raising of genetically modified taro in
the State of Hawaii, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the County Clerk shall forward copies of this
resolution to Mayor Harry Kim; Governor Linda Lingle; Sandra Kunimoto, Director, State
Department of Agriculture; Andrew Hashimoto, Dean, U.H. Manoa C.T.A.H.R.; Dr. William
Steiner, Dean, U.H. Hilo C.A.F.R.M.; and all members of the Hawaii State Legislature.
Dated at Hilo , Hawaii, this 24th day of January , ?008.
INTRODUCED BY:
COUNCIL ME ER, COUNTY O AWAI`1
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii Aves NOES ABS rx
Hilo, Hawaii FORD X
HIGH X
t hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by HOFFMANN g ~
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the IKEDA
County of Hawaii on Janllary 24, 2~~8
JACOBSON g
NAEOLE g - _
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ATTEST: PILAGO g
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~ Reference: C-882 EMC-11
~,~-e,~JJ ~~,-,.r ~ 462
COUN Y CLERK CHAIRMAN & D NG OF ICER RESOLUTION NO.
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