"Hookuleana" (it means "to take responsibility") is the theme of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) outreach efforts that strive to involve communities and constituencies in assisting in the protection of our natural and cultural resources.
In a single word, "Hookuleana" is focused on "responsibility" -- our individual and collective responsibility to: participate -- rather than ignore; prevent -- rather than react; and preserve -- rather than degrade.
This is not really a "program," but, rather, an attitude we want people to share about resource management and protection.
No one constituency, no one community, no one resource management entity has the sole responsibility for and jurisdiction over the resources. Each of us shares that responsibility.
A goal of the "Hookuleana" perspective is to help encourage local community members to support DLNR in education, regulation and observation to protect natural and cultural resources.
What each of us does every day affects Hawaii’s environment. If we want Hawaii’s resources to remain healthy, we must each make a personal commitment to protect and care for them.
Each of us shares in the responsibility of wise stewardship and conservation of our resources.
DLNR is tasked with immense responsibilities and recognizes that it cannot accomplish its mandate alone – DLNR needs the cooperation and participation of others to get things done.
DLNR has management, maintenance and oversight over (among others:)
- 1.3 million acres of State-owned lands
- 1.9 million acres of "Conservation" lands
- Historic preservation programs
- Freshwater resources
- Endangered plants and animals
- 800,000 acres of Forest Reserves (the nation’s 11th largest state-owned forest)
- 750 miles of coastline (the country’s 4th longest ocean coastline)
- 3 million acres of near-shore waters
- 410,000 acres of coral reefs
- Ocean recreation management areas
- Hunting and fishing
- 69 state parks, sites and monuments
- 21 small boat harbors and 50-launch ramps
- And much more.
Our natural and cultural resources are not just historic sites, ocean, streams, mountains, trees, birds and fish.
They are the foundation of our quality of life and backdrop for our economy. Our natural and cultural resources define Hawaii’s "sense of place." They make and keep Hawaii, Hawaii.
There is urgency today to reconnect Hawaii’s people with the health of the resources and environment.
Resource protection is not about us and it’s not about now – it is about protecting and preserving our natural and cultural resources for the generations to come, for people we will never meet.
"Hookuleana" is based on the context that the active participation of communities and constituency groups is a critical element in community health and safety -- not through vigilantism or exclusion, but simply through a willingness to help prevent wrong-doing through presence and education, look out for suspicious activity, care for the resources and report inappropriate activity to law enforcement and to each other.
"Hookuleana" serves as a vehicle in helping people "make a difference" in their own community, for now and for years to come.
It is our responsibility.
Peter T. Young is the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. See more at: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr or email thoughts to mailto:dlnr@hawaii.gov
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