Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 3, 1 Malaki 1992 — Sanctuary status studied for Kaho ʻolawe [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Sanctuary status studied for Kaho ʻolawe

by Ann L. Moore Kaho'olawe, that tenacious little island off Maui's coast, has endured everything man and nature has thrown at it. Land has a spirit and surely Kaho'lawe's is a gallant one: stately, imposing, brave and noble. A determined survivor of changing history, however battered and bruised, this small, indomitable island has weathered nature's storms, depredations by animals, assault by arms and men and may, at last, be looking at a future as a protected area. The Nahonal Oeean Service of the National Oeean and Atmospheric Administration, whieh is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, is studying Kaho'olawe as a possible candidate for designation as a National Maiine Sanctuary. NOAA's Sanctuaries and Reserves Division has prepared a feasibility study as one of the first steps towards having the waters of Kaho'olawe declared a marine sanctuary. The purpose of the feasibility study is to determine the effects that declaring the waters around Kaho'olawe a sanctuary would have on its population of humpback whales. So it appears that the humpback whale, as endan-

gered as Kaho'olawe itself, may have been the trigger for the investigation. In the study, NOAA says: • More investigation is recommended because both biological resources and cultural-

historic uses adjacent to the island are supported by preliminary evidence but are not as eonclusive as are required for designation as a sanctuary. • There are more marine areas within the Hawaiian archipelago that merit further consideration as possible components of a multiplesite, multiple-resource national marine sanctuary. • The Nahonal Marine Sanctuary Program could enhanee marine resource protection in Hawai'i. The report recounts the history of beleaguered Kaho'olawe and the efforts of the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana (PKO) whieh brought suit in 1976 resulting in the Navy's entering into a consent decree wherein the Navy agreed to prepare an environmental impact statement; identify and inventory historic cultural sites; survey and protect the sites; clear surface ordnanee from 10,000 acres of land; begin soil conservation and re-vegetation programs; eradicate the island goat populahon; and limit the ordnance impact area to the central third of the island. The consent decree also acknowledged continued on page 10

Aunty Emma Defries on Kaho'olawe Photo by Franco Salmoiraghi

Kaho'olawe from page 1 PK0's desire to act as stewards of the island and also acknowledged the group's right to limited access to the island by pre-arrangement with the Navy. More recent archaeological work was done on Kaho'olawe as a result of a court-ordered cultural resources evaluation that was initiated by the U.S. Navy in 1977. From that evaluation many sites were identified and nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Whether Kaho'olawe fulfills the criteria neeessary for it to be named to the National Register of Historic Places remains unanswered, the NOAA report notes. There is no overwhelming body of written literature, NOAA says. However, the study continues, "It should be noted that the criteria established to consider manne environments for ... sanctuary status emphasize historical significance rather than traditional cultural importance. Cultural significance is distinct from historical value ... and may be defined by emotions and feelings and not quantitative archaeological data. With this in mind, the scaredness and cultural signifieanee of the marine environment around Kaho'olawe to native Hawaiians may have to be judged in terms of native Hawaiian values and oral traditions, and not by traditional western values." Kaho'olawe is now listed as a national archaeological district and is the largest area to have been studied archaeologically within the Hawaiian Islands, the NOAA report said. The Kaho'olawe Conveyance Commission, established in 1990 by Congress, is preparing a report to Congress (due in late 1992) that will identify future jurisdictional responsibilities and use of the island and its resources. The bombing of Kaho'olawe was suspended in October 1990, by Presidential directive, pending completion of the commission report The NOAA report notes that "there is strong public support to consider a national marine sanctuary beyond the waters off Kaho'olawe." Further, NOAA identified widespread loeal, state and federal agency support for a more comprehensive, coordinated and integrated management approach to marine and coastal resource management in all of Hawai'i. There is promise in NOAA's statement that: "Long term protection of the nation's most significant marine resources is a primary goal of the Marine Sanctuary Program." NOAA recommends that a thorough investigation of the feasibility of establishing a sanctuary at Kaho'olawe should be done and that current year and appropriated-for-next-year funds are available. The report noted there are many "vehicles" within Hawai'i and NOAA capable of dealing with "single species" management. However, a sanctuary designation could give an added measure of protection and any sanctuary developed would naturally include the humpback whale. The result of a comprehensive marine resource protection and management program would protect the whale, Kaho'olawe waters and compliment other agency efforts. A. Frenchy DeSoto, trustee-at-large for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said that one thing not mentioned in the report is protection for the Native Hawaiian traditional gathering and fishing rights in the waters surrounding Kaho'olawe. "Those rights, and the cultural need for Hawaiians to be able to go to Kaho'olawe, are important and it is not set out

in the report," she said. Trustee DeSoto was appointed to the Kaho'olawe Conveyance Commission as OHA's representative. "There is a need to protect all the 'aina, but especially Kaho'olawe whieh has suffered so terribly," she said. NOAA will continue its examination of Kaho'olawe's waters and also examine other areas identified during that process. If the evaluation of the natural, historical and cultural resources of Kaho'olawe and other sites support sanctuary status, then "it would be appropriate to plaee them on the NOAA Site Evaluation List for possible designation ... as a multiple-site, multiple-resource sanctuary," the report said. This sanctuary designation for Kaho'olawe "to protect not just ecological values and resources but also cultural resources would be unprecedented and unique," according to the NOAA study. As part of the process of determining the

suitability of studying an area for possible designation as a sanctuary, NOAA consulted with federal and state agencies and with the public at what NOAA calls "scoping" meetings. The NOAA feasibility study notes the following as "some of the more salient comments received." • NOAA should designate and manage any sanctuary as an ecosystem, and not for one species. • NOAA should work with the state and county to increase resource protection and to create a more coordinated and integrated approach towards resource management. • NOAA should work with the Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana as the group seeking to be the stewards of the island. The PKO should be a partner in all management decisions for the resources of the marine environment of the island. • There is a need for stricter enforcement of existing regulations, and the Nahonal Marine Sanctuary Program could provide additional funds to increase resource protection and should not duplicate existing efforts. • NOAA should undertake a comprehensive research and monitoring program, including a systematic marine survey, within the Hawaiian archipelago in order to establish a baseline data-base of biological and cultural resources. • Current marine education programs are limited in effectiveness in reaching a broad cross section of the Hawaiian people, however, the potential is limitless.

• There are other areas within Hawaiian waters that have been identified as potential sites for marine sanctuary consideration, and whieh may possess nationality or regionally significant manne resources. These include sites nearshore waters of Lana'i, Moloka'i and Maui; north coast of Kaua'i and the island of Ni'ihau; Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; and the west Kona coast of the Big Island. As a result of the scoping meetings, NOAA decided to consider the waters adjacent to Kaho'olawe only; other Hawaiian waters of national significance (excluding Kaho'olawe); and water adjacent to Kaho'olawe and other Hawaiian waters of national significance. The feasibility study concludes its recommendations by stating that NOAA recognizes there are many factors that will determine the success of establishing a national marine sanctuary in Hawaiian waters and they include: Coordination and cooperation between NOAA, the affected state agencies and the

Office of the Governor; Effective articulation by NOAA, to all eoncerned parties, of the goals, objectives and limitations of the National Marine Sanctuary Program as they relate to enhanced conservation and management of marine resources in Hawai'i; A mutual commitment between NOAA and the state of Hawai'i to establish a national marine sanctuary in Hawaiian waters; The inclusion of the tenets of the Hawaiian culture and traditional uses as they relate to marine resource management; and The cooperation of affected marine-and-coastal-oriented groups and individuals in the development of any sanctuary proposal. This includes Native Hawaiian interests, recreational uses (i.e. divers, thrillcraft operators, whale watchers) environmental organizations, and marine and coastal development interests. People who are interested in the NOAA decisions should watch for the The Kaho'olawe Conveyance Commission report that is due to Congress late this year; and also watch for notices of public hearings published in loeal newspapers. lf a meeting is held seeking public input, it is an opportunity for eaeh citizen to speak for Kaho'olawe and for Hawai'i To obtain a copy of the Kaho'olawe Island Nahonal Marine Sanctuary Feasibility Study, write to: NOAA, Sanctuaries and Reserve Division 1825 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 714, Washington, D.C., 20235.

The waters off Kaho'olawe looklng toward Maul. Photo by Franco Salmoiraghl