In a perfect world, we would have peace of mind that our communities are safe from being destroyed overnight by a fire, flood or other disaster. We want assurance our homes and loved ones are out of harm’s way and that we have systems in place to prevent or mitigate disasters.
The reality, however, is that we are not as safe as we could be.
Stewardship of our islands’ natural resources goes hand in hand with safety. We need to restore, manage and conserve our natural resources and ecosystems to sustain us. When we take care of ‘aina, ‘aina will take care of us. However, as a state, we have not made malama ‘aina — the responsible stewardship and restoration of public lands, including forests, trails, streams, wetlands, shorelines, beaches and reefs — a priority.
Ignoring cultural wisdom and evidence-based environmental principles invite unfortunate consequences. The tragic Maui wildfires, other wildfires in our state, and other natural disasters are a wake-up call for all of us. These poignant examples have shown us that stewardship is not only an environmental priority, but also a safety necessity.
A course correction will lead to a better and safer future. Empowering the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, as well as frontline community groups, nonprofit organizations, and other partners, with a dedicated, consistent source of funding ensures that ‘aina can shield us from the impacts of extreme weather; wetlands can absorb flood pulses; reefs can buffer storm surges; green breaks and native vegetation can slow fire; and native vegetation can prevent erosion. We can then keep our ‘ohana safe and have peace of mind.
As a state, we must act now. The Maui wildfires taught us that public and private lands must be properly maintained and restored to help prevent and mitigate the spread of fires. Acres of land that are unmanaged or under-managed are a fire hazard. Some believe the unchecked growth of non-native grasses contributed to the rapid spread of the uncontrollable fires.
Dry weather and high-wind conditions create an environment conducive to extreme fires, which are not a natural part of native Hawaiian ecosystems. Extreme weather conditions are the new reality, and we must factor these conditions into our plans and priorities to reduce our risks of fires and other natural disasters. We must remove non-native grasses and exotic weeds and replace them with less flammable native plants to make our islands safer. ‘Aina-based jobs and workforce development programming to fulfill these needs further benefit our communities by developing environmental and socio-economic resources for growth.
Taking care of these responsibilities requires sufficient funding for DLNR and partnering stewardship organizations. This responsibility extends to all who call Hawaii their home as well as those visiting our islands. If additional funding can be provided through the transient accommodations tax or through fees assessed for using public places, this will also help to alleviate the burden on Hawaii’s taxpayers and allow visitors to participate in the care of the resources they use while visiting our islands. Palau and Rapa Nui have successful variations of this concept.
When we take our role as stewards of our land seriously, it shows we also take our responsibility for each other seriously. Everyone must make caring for our islands their kuleana. We can change the trajectory of our state, now and for future generations.
Our lawmakers have the ability to allocate long-term funding to support stewardship and prevent future natural disasters with permanent funding for natural resource management and restoration. Our safety, our natural resources, and the future we leave our children depend on it.
Ulalia Woodside Lee, executive director of The Nature Conservancy, Hawaii and Palmyra; and John Leong, co-founder and chief executive officer of Kupu, are members of Care for ‘Aina Now (CAN) Coalition.
