Urging The Department Of Land And Natural Resources Division Of Forestry And Wildlife To Prioritize The Restoration And Protection Of Additional Wetlands And Anchialine Pools.
Summary
SR27 is a Senate resolution urging the Department of Land and Natural Resources, through the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, to prioritize the restoration and protection of additional wetlands in Hawaii. It also urges the Division of Agricultural Resources to extend wetland-style protective policies to anchialine pools, which the resolution describes as rare and vulnerable ecosystems. The measure specifically highlights wetlands in Kihei on Maui and asks that their protection be prioritized over development concerns where feasible.
The resolution lays out the environmental and practical reasons for stronger protection. It states that wetlands are important for water quality, flood reduction, wildfire and drought resilience, sediment filtration, habitat protection, and the preservation of coral reefs and ocean recreation. It also emphasizes that preventing wetland degradation is more cost-effective than restoring damaged wetlands later, and that anchialine pools face similar risks without additional safeguards.
Impact
SR27 does not amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes or create a new regulatory program; instead, it expresses the Senate’s policy position and directs state agencies to prioritize wetland and anchialine pool protection within their existing authority. Its practical effect is to encourage DLNR and related divisions to treat these resources as higher conservation priorities, especially in permitting and land-use decisions affecting Maui. The resolution may also reinforce or influence agency interpretation of existing water, conservation, and land management protections for wetlands and anchialine pools.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly supportive and environmentally protective. The measure passed the Senate Water and Land committee 5-0 with amendments, indicating unanimous committee approval and little visible opposition in the available record. The resolution’s findings frame wetland and anchialine pool protection as both ecologically necessary and fiscally prudent, suggesting broad agreement with its goals.
Contention
The main point of tension is the resolution’s instruction that wetland protection, especially in Kihei on Maui, be prioritized over development concerns where feasible. That language suggests a potential conflict between conservation goals and development or permitting interests. Another possible area of concern is the call to extend wetland-like protections to anchialine pools, which may raise questions about how existing policies should be applied across different resource types and agencies. No direct opposition is shown in the available committee record, but the resolution’s emphasis on limiting development impacts indicates where disputes could arise.
Same As
Urging The Department Of Land And Natural Resources Division Of Forestry And Wildlife To Prioritize The Restoration And Protection Of Additional Wetlands And Anchialine Pools.