Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 1, 1 Ianuali 1994 — Governor appoints members to Kaho ʻolawe Commission [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Governor appoints members to Kaho ʻolawe Commission

Gov. John Waihe'e recently appointed seven commissioners to the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC). The commissioners, pending state Senate confirmation, are Office of Hawaiian Affairs

trustee A. Frenchy DeSoto, representing OHA; Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli, Colette Machado and Craig Neff, representing the P r o t e e t Kaho'olawe 'Ohana; Brian Miskae, representing Maui County; Keith Ahue, chairman of the stale

Board of Land and Natural Resources; and Nālani Kanaka'ole Zane, representing

native Hawaiian organizations. The KIRC was created last year by the state Legislature from a bill that was submitted by the Waihe'e administration and whieh became Act 340, Session Laws of Hawai'i 1993. Act 340

established the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve, whieh includes the island and the submerged lands and waters extending seaward two miles from its shoreline. The Commission, along with the Department of Land and Natural Resources

(DLNR), is responsible for the administration of the new continued on page 4 —

Gov. John Waihe'e V y> WMmĒ?' X?, ^ ' - %

Kaho'olawe lsland Reserve Commission members appointed by Governor Waihe'e

from page 1 reserve. The five purposes of the reserve are: • the preservation and practice of Hawaiian cultural, spiritual and sub-

sistence purposes; • the preservation and protection of Kaho'olawe's archeological, his-

torical and environmental resources; • rehabilitation, revegetation, habitat restoration and preservation; and • education. In November, Congress passed, and President Clinton

signed, a bi 11 mandating the return of Kaho'olawe to state control, and providing $400 mil-

I lion over a period of approximately 10 years for the island's elean-up and rehabilitation, whieh the KIRC will monitor. Federal funding for the first year is $60

million, with about $6 million available to the state for restoration work.

Kaho'olawe, along with its resources and surrounding waters, will be held as part of the public trust lands until it ean be transferred to a sovereign native Hawaiian entity. Commercial use is prohibited.

The commission will be the kuleana of the Department of Land and Natural Resources

(DLNR). Mike Yoshinaga, speeial assistant to the state land board chairperson and DLNR director Keith Ahue, said DLNR will meet with the Office of State Planning for guidance on what kinds of issues will need to be presented to the commission.

I There are 9 also quesI t i o n s I regarding I the availI a b 1 e I amount of I f e d e r a 1 funds and the purposes for whieh they ean be used.

Yoshinaga added that Act 340 authorizes the commission to hire a staff member.

A. Frenchy DeSoto

Noa Emmett Aluli