House bill includes funding for Hawaii wildlife protection
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bill includes several funding requests by Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, that enhances wildlife habitat, combats invasive species, protects our waters, and preserves historical sites specific to the Islands, Hirono’s office said today in a news release. The legislation passed out the House by a vote of 247 yeas to 178 nays.
The bill includes $12,360,000 in FY2010 funds for six projects in Hawaii that Hirono requested. Many of the projects approved for funding were also requested by Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka and Congressman Neil Abercrombie.
These include:
In addition to Hirono’s earmarks, the bill provides $3 million to address concerns brought to light by the recently published multi-agency report The State of the Birds, United States of America, 2009, which specifically highlighted the dire situation faced by Hawaii’s endangered birds. The conference report on the bill recommended that a significant portion of the $3 million be used to develop a comprehensive strategy, hire staff, and begin on-the-ground projects to recover endangered and threatened bird species in Hawaii. This is in line with Hirono’s requests to the committee for $1.5 million for captive breeding programs for highly endangered forest birds and $7 million for implementation of a recovery plan for an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, the Palila.
Another highlight of the bill was the inclusion by Inouye of an authorization for a special resource study of the site of the former World War II-era Honouliuli Internment Camp. The study will determine the historical significance of the Honouliuli site related to the forcible internment of Japanese Americans, European Americans, and other individuals.
