[Congressional Bills 117th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. Res. 801 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 801 Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge and Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Hawaii. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 28, 2022 Ms. Hirono (for herself and Mr. Schatz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works _______________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge and Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Hawaii. Whereas, on October 17, 1972, Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge was established as mitigation for the construction of the Honolulu International Airport Reef Runway; Whereas effective management of Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge has necessitated partnerships between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Navy, the Federal Aviation Administration, the State of Hawaii, and several private conservation organizations, as well as the general public; Whereas Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge protects some of the last remaining wetlands on Oahu and is home to threatened and endangered wildlife and plants; Whereas the Honouliuli and Waiawa units of Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge are managed under a cooperative agreement with the Navy to provide wetland habitat for 4 endangered waterbirds: the aeo (Hawaiian stilt), the alae keokeo (Hawaiian coot), the alae ula (Hawaiian moorhen), and the koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck); Whereas the Honouliuli unit of Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge has served as a conservation site for the endangered endemic Ko oloa ula shrub (Abutilon menziesii) since its translocation there in 2002 and 2003; Whereas the Kalaeloa unit of Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2001 to protect and enhance the habitat for 2 endangered plants, the akoko and the ewa hinahina, and is home to the largest and second largest populations of these plants, respectively; Whereas all 3 units of Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge are closed to the general public to protect endangered wildlife but provide educational and volunteer opportunities during the nonbreeding season of the aeo; Whereas the Honouliuli unit of Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge serves as the site of the wetlands education program conducted by the Hawaii Nature Center, bringing more than 4,000 third-grade students to the Honouliuli unit during the fall semester to learn about the recovery of Hawaii's waterbirds and the value of wetlands; Whereas Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge was established under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 (Public Law 89-669; 80 Stat. 926) on November 30, 1972, to aid in the recovery of threatened and endangered species, including the aeo, the alae keokeo, the alae ula, the koloa maoli, and the nene (Hawaiian goose); Whereas Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge consists of 917 acres in Hanalei Valley on the north shore of Kauai island and includes a portion of the Hanalei River, a designated American Heritage River; Whereas Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge provides an important habitat for a diverse array of fish, wildlife, and plants, including 27 species of migratory waterfowl, 23 species of migratory shorebirds, and all 5 species of endemic Hawaiian oopu (amphidromous gobies); Whereas kalo farming has occurred for several hundred years in Hanalei Valley and remains an ecologically, culturally, and economically important practice on Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge; Whereas kalo farming in the greater Hanalei watershed, including Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, provides shallow-water habitat for threatened and endangered waterbirds and generates at least 40 percent of all kalo grown in the State of Hawaii; and Whereas the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is opening the new Hanalei Viewpoint to provide residents and visitors with increased opportunities to learn about and connect with the natural and cultural history of Hanalei Valley and the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) congratulates and celebrates Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge on the 50th anniversary of their establishment; (2) acknowledges the range of natural and cultural wonders that make up the other national wildlife refuges of the State of Hawaii, including-- (A) Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge; (B) Huleia National Wildlife Refuge; (C) Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge; (D) James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge; (E) Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge; (F) Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge; (G) Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge; and (H) Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge; and (3) encourages the people of Hawaii and of the United States to learn about, support, and appreciate those national wildlife refuges, which are national treasures. <all>